One Geek To Rule Them All
by weezerz2490
Summary: Two American girls taking a break from college go on a trip to the UK and somehow wind up stuck in Middle Earth at the beginning of one of the greatest adventures of all time. What could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** I've had this idea for awhile now, and I've finally decided to put it into action. This story will probably be based on a combination of both the books and the movies, but for the purposes of this story, please just go with me and pretend none of the Lord of the Rings movies have come out yet in the version of the 'real world' that the two OCs are from, okay? Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the story. Please let me know what you think!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: An Unexpected Journey<strong>

* * *

><p>Devin smiled as she stretched her arms out and breathed in the fresh air, enjoying the woody smell of growing things and earth. The pale, gentle sunlight filtering down through the treetops from the grey English sky above felt good on her face. Being from the South, she still wasn't quite used to the much cooler autumn weather in the UK, but it was a nice change from the usual warm and humid climate they had to deal with back in Louisiana. And the colors were fantastic! The red, gold, and brown foliage in the magical Forest of Dean was absolutely gorgeous. They hardly ever got to see the leaves change like this back home. She pulled out her cell phone and started taking pictures. She wished her dad could see this. He was a huge Tolkien fan, and this forest was also supposedly where the famed author of the <em>Lord or the Rings<em> trilogy (soon to be a movie) had come for inspiration… or something like that. She could've sworn her father had said something to that effect before…

"I can't believe you're taking pictures of trees." Kitty commented as she tried to scrape some of the mud on her black pleather boots off onto an exposed root. "We can see those anywhere. Let's go check out that Hay-town place or that Caldicot Castle thing."

"But we just got here." Devin said, frowning slightly in disappointment. "Besides, wasn't taking a hike through the forest your idea?"

"That was before I remembered that my chief outdoor activity is going back inside." Kitty deadpanned, slightly chagrined at herself. She had thought it would be fun to see the forest where Harry and the gang hid while on the run from Voldemort, but she wasn't as a much of a 'flowerchild' as Devin, so staring colorful leaves, dirt, and sore feet weren't exactly her idea of a good time. "I wanna see the castle now. I hear they're supposed to have ghosts and everything."

"We can see those anywhere, too." Devin replied, smiling wryly. You couldn't throw a stone without hitting_ something_ that was reputedly haunted in southeastern Louisiana.

"But these have an accent." Kitty said, smiling.

"Oh, all right, but I want to finish this trail first. We're almost at the river." Devin agreed as she continued to walk, deciding to humor her impatient friend. To be honest, she found the idea of British-accented ghosts somewhat amusing, even though it was only natural since they were in England. Still, accents were fun.

"What's it called again?" Kitty asked curiously, easily skipping ahead of her shorter-legged friend, walking backwards so she could face her. Devin smiled at her friend's antics and reached into her pocket to pull out the trail guide.

"I think it's supposed to be the Wye—_Kitty, look out!"_ Devin shouted in surprise when she glanced back up to see that Kitty was about to walk backwards into the river. Instinctively, she reached out to grab the taller girl as Kitty's eyes widened when she felt herself start to fall.

_SPLASH!_

The next thing they knew, the two girls found themselves submerged in the rushing cold water. Devin kept her eyes squeezed shut tightly as she held her breath and fought to keep hold of Kitty's hand while the unexpectedly strong current tossed them about.

"!" Devin gasped for air the moment she felt her head break through to the surface again.

"Devin!" Kitty shouted, spitting out some of the water that had gotten into her mouth. "I think—I think I can stand!" She said, trying to get her footing as they floated down to a less turbulent spot.

"Good, because it's definitely over my head!" Devin said, chagrined. At 4'11½" she was practically hobbit-sized, whereas Kitty was more like an elf at her much more substantial height or 5'7". Together the two girls managed to scramble back onto dry land, shivering and soaking wet.

"What I wouldn't give for some warm clothes and a fire…" Devin muttered through chattering teeth.

"You mean like that?" Kitty asked, pointing to a campfire someone had set up just inside the treeline a yard away from the river bank.

"Yeah, that'll do." Devin said, smiling wryly, as she stood up and tried to brush off as much mud as possible while they made their way towards the inviting warmth of the fire. "This reminds me of a story my parents used to read to me called 'Fortunately, Unfortunately'." She said as they sat down and started trying to warm themselves. "Fortunately, it was a beautiful day for a hike in the woods. Unfortunately, we fell into a cold river. Fortunately, we found a fire as soon as we climbed out..."

"Unfortunately, that fire already belonged to someone else." A deep voice finished for her from behind them.

"Wha—_!_?" The two girls exclaimed in surprise and alarm as they whirled around to face its owner, caught completely off guard. They found themselves staring up at an extremely tall man dressed all in dark clothes that made it look as though he were cosplaying as some kind of rogue for a renaissance festival. His face was hidden in the shadow of his hood. Where did this guy come from_!_? He hadn't made a sound!

"Who are you? Are you some kind of ninja?" Kitty demanded suspiciously, clinging to Devin.

"Ninja? What is that?" The man asked, looking slightly puzzled as he removed his hood, revealing a somewhat worn but ruggedly handsome face. He had keen grey eyes, and his dark hair was slightly peppered with a couple of grey strands here and there. It was clear he was sizing them up, assessing whether they might be a threat or not. Devin didn't think he needed to be so wary of a couple of sopping wet college girls, though she did have a taser in her backpack, if the fall in the river didn't screw it up.

Kitty stared at the man incredulously. At first she had thought he was joking, but the genuine look of confusion on his face as he took in their appearance proved him to be perfectly serious. Did this guy live under a rock or something?

"Um, hi… I'm Devin, and this is Kitty. I hope you don't mind if we share your fire for a few minutes, Mister…?" Devin ventured awkwardly, remembering her manners, while subtly hinting for him to fill in his own name.

"They call me 'Strider' around these parts." He answered somewhat cryptically, setting down the firewood he had just come back from collecting. They were unarmed and seemed harmless enough, but their clothing and manner of speech was highly unusual. And one could never be too careful these days.

"Oh, I get it!" Devin said, lighting up as it all clicked into place. "'Strider', as in Aragorn. You're dressed as a ranger. Are y'all doing some kind of LARP nearby or something? What are you doing, looking for hobbits?" Her smile faltered slightly when she saw the somewhat disturbed expression on his face before he fixed her with a steely glare.

"Who sent you?" He demanded evenly, placing a hand over the handle of his sword. How did they know his real name? How did they know he was looking Frodo Baggins? Did they know Gandalf or were they enemy spies? He knew Sauron's agents came in many forms.

"What?" Kitty asked, furrowing her brow slightly as she stared dubiously up at him, wondering what this 'Strider's' problem was. Did this dude sustain a head injury recently or something?

"Whoa, wait. Just calm down. Nobody sent us." Devin said warily holding up her empty hands to show they meant no harm. "We don't want any trouble. I'm a Tolkien fan, too." She added, hoping to find some common ground to keep him from attacking. She really hoped this guy wasn't a—

"What is this 'Tolkien' of which you speak?" Strider asked seriously, furrowing his brow.

—nut job. He was a nut job. Of course he would be.

"Are you kidding me?" Kitty asked, deadpanning. Even she knew who that was, though she preferred _Harry Potter_. "Tolkein's the guy who wrote—mph!" She grunted in annoyance when Devin suddenly clapped a hand over her mouth and pulled her aside.

"Shh!" Devin whispered urgently. "We can't just tell him it's all a work of fiction. He obviously thinks _he's_ the real Aragorn. Who knows how he'd react."

"Well, what else are we supposed to do? Just play along?" Kitty whispered, raising an eyebrow, as she glanced back over her shoulder at the clearly delusional man, who was still eyeing them suspiciously.

"Yeah, at least until we can get out of this forest." Devin whispered, nodding. "I'm not sure I even know where we are anymore. I thought we were only in the water for a minute or two, but this doesn't look familiar at all. We must have drifted pretty far. That guy might be crazy, but if he spends all his time playing ranger in here, then he might be able to lead us back to the trail." She explained reasonably.

"Ohh. Good thinking." Kitty whispered. "I was just gonna suggest we hit him over the head and run."

"We'd probably just end up even more lost." Devin whispered, smiling wryly. "Just let me handle this, okay?" Kitty straightened up as they both turned back to face 'Strider' again. "Since you said they call you Strider 'around these parts', am I correct in thinking that we're somewhere near the village of Bree?"

Strider blinked at that. They didn't know where they were? But they were just outside the Shire. They could only have just come from the River Baranduin (Brandywine). In fact, he had almost taken the smaller one for a hobbit until he noticed her feet were smaller than was usual for one and were shod in strange, bright blue shoes, the likes of which he had never seen before, and he had seen much over his long life as a ranger.

"Because, if we are near Bree, and you are looking for a certain hobbit in possession of a certain item as a favor to a certain grey wizard… we just might be able to help each other out." Devin said cryptically. "We're not your enemy. As you can probably tell from our foreign clothing, we are both strangers to this land. We're just two cold, wet, and lost girls looking for the nearest trace of civilization. We have no interest in the ring or its current owner or a lost king, but we do have a clue as to where you can find what you seek. If you help us get safely to the nearest village, we'll tell you where to find them, deal?"

"How do I know I can trust you? This could be a trap for all I know." He said reasonably, holding her gaze.

"We have no proof of innocence beyond our own word." Devin replied calmly, returning his even stare with one of her own. "I'll leave that judgment up to you. But you should know that we're strangers to this land. If you leave us here, we could very well die from exposure and hunger. I don't think you want our deaths on your conscience. You seem to have enough to worry about already." Kitty glanced between the two of them, watching silently as her petite friend stared down (or up) the possibly dangerous and paranoid delusional man before them.

"Very well." Strider said, relaxing slightly, as he finally removed his hand from the hilt of his sword. "I shall escort the two of you to Bree, and in return, you shall tell me all the information you have on the hobbit I seek as well as how you came to know of my search for him." Although it was disconcerting that they seemed to already know so much about him and the ring-bearer, these two girls did not appear to be agents of Sauron. For one thing, the eyes of this girl, Devin, were too clear and honest for that. He glanced at her friend, who was still eyeing him skeptically, staying protectively close to her smaller friend. She obviously didn't trust him either. He kicked some dirt on the small fire to put it out. "Follow me." They would have to make haste if they wanted to reach the village by nightfall.

…

It was dark when they reached the village of Bree. It had also begun to rain, just when the girls were finally starting to get a little dry.

"Um… correct me if I'm wrong, but that wasn't there before, was it?" Kitty asked Devin, lowering her voice, as the two of them huddled together for warmth and stared up at the stone wall surrounding the village Strider had led them to. Even though he had ended up leading them back in pretty much the same direction they thought they had come from before falling into the river… but like Kitty just pointed out, none of this looked the slightest bit familiar.

Devin frowned. She didn't remember seeing anything like this on the map, which was ruined, by the way.

"This way." Aragorn said, leading them up to the wall. He planned to use the cover of darkness to sneak the tree of them in unnoticed. He had his own reasons for not wanting his whereabouts recorded by the gatekeeper, and he doubted the two girls, harmless as they looked, would be allowed in without extensive questioning, and he would rather certain pieces of knowledge in their possession remained secret.

"Um, about how tall would you say this wall is?" Devin asked tentatively, not sure she would be able to climb over on her own. She'd hopped one or two fences before, but those hadn't been slicked with rain.

"I'd say a little over 7ft. Want a lift?" Kitty asked casually.

"Sure, but I'll probably need someone to catch me on the other side. Can you get over by yourself?" Devin replied, concerned her friend might get stranded out there in the rain.

"Sure. I've done worse." She replied, shrugging. "Hey, Strider, can you catch Devin? I'm gonna toss her over the wall since she's too short to jump this by herself."

"Are you certain? Perhaps I should be the one to 'toss' her over?" He suggested, furrowing his brow slightly. Both girls deadpanned. Clearly, he was underestimating them.

"Yeah, we've got this." Devin said. "You go on ahead. Be ready on the count of three." He gave the girls one last look before jumping up and pulling himself over the wall in one swift motion, landing almost silently on the other side with only a very soft splash to indicate his presence.

"Okay, that was kind of cool." Kitty said with appreciation before turning to Devin. "You ready?"

"Am I ever not?" She replied, smirking. Kitty smirked back. She just wished she could see the look on Striders face when he saw what was about to happen. Kitty kneeled down and cupped her hands, allowing Devin to step into them.

"1…" Kitty counted. "2… 3…!" In one fluid motion, Kitty stood up and threw her cupped hands into the air while Devin jumped up and did a midair flip over the wall before landing securely in Strider's outstretched arms.

"Safe!" Devin declared, grinning, as she held up a 'V' for victory with her fingers. All those years of cheerleading had paid off.

Strider blinked and stared at the petite girl in his arms while Kitty jumped up and somehow managed to climb over the wall (albeit not with quite the same amount of grace as him). He had certainly not been expecting that. Perhaps there was more to these girls than meets the eye. Perhaps they were traveling performers of some kind? It would certainly explain their strange clothing and the feat of agility the little one had just demonstrated.

"Now, tell me what where I can find the hobbit I seek and how you came to know all that you spoke to me of before." He said firmly as he set Devin back down on her own two feet, getting down to business.

"Are you sure you want to talk out here?" Devin asked, glancing around. It was dark, but she could make out a number of people moving about in the main street several feet away. Despite the rain, they all seemed to be walking around without umbrellas.

Strider followed her gaze and thought the better of it. She was right. You could never be too careful. He nodded in approval of her caution.

"Come. I know a place where we can talk and get out of the rain." He said, leading them to the main street.

Kitty grimaced when she stepped in a particularly deep mud puddle. She knew some areas of England could be rustic, but these streets weren't even cobbled. Was this some kind of medieval tourist trap or something, because everyone was dressed like they had just come from RenFest. Kitty seriously had to do a double-take when two midgets with larger than average bare feet crossed in front of her, taking advantage of the gap between her and her companions to cross the busy street. There was just no way… Those had to be the most realistic hobbit costumes _ever_. She shook her head and quickly caught up with the others.

"OMG, Devin, you'll never guess what I just saw!" Kitty said, almost bumping into her short friend when she suddenly stopped short. "What?" Devin just raised her arm and pointed up at the sign for the practically medieval inn that Strider had led them to. The door was open and light streamed out of it. Above the arch was a lamp, and beneath it swung a large signboard that was carved in the image of a fat white pony reared up on its hind legs. Over the door was painted in white letters: _the Prancing Pony by Barliman Butterbur._ The two girls exchanged a somewhat bewildered look before following Strider inside. Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads when they saw the scene waiting for them on the inside. There were even more 'hobbits' mixed among the crowd of humans, and there were even some dwarves scattered about here and there. Devin blinked and glanced questioningly at Kitty, wondering if she was really seeing what she thought she was seeing. Kitty nodded slowly, confirming that this was in fact happening for real.

"Are we being punked or something?" Devin whisper-yelled, trying to be heard above the noisy din without drawing too much unwanted attention, as they weaved their way through the crowd to catch up with Strider, who was talking to a burly but rather friendly-faced man with rosy cheeks. The man was looking at Strider with an open expression of suspicion and apprehension, but he took his money and began leading the ranger out of the main common room.

"Come." Strider said, gesturing for them to follow before they got left behind.

"Maybe they're filming a movie?" Kitty suggested lamely as they followed the two men up some stairs, doubting her own suggestion with the lack of noticeable cameras and crew that would be needed for such a thing.

"Kitty, everyone knows they're supposed to be setting up 'Middle Earth' in New Zealand." Devin stated matter-of-factly, as if it should have been common knowledge.

"Well, what else could it be? This is way too elaborate for some cheesy candid camera show!" Kitty hissed, starting to get nervous. "Even the _smell_ is authentic."

"What was that?" The man, whom Devin guessed was supposed to be Butterbur, asked, glancing back at them, as he unlocked the door to the private room Strider had just rented for them to continue their discussion in.

"Oh, um, we were just saying what a nice place you've got here." Devin said quickly, not wanting to piss off the locals until they knew more about what was going on. Butterbur eyed them a bit skeptically, probably because they looked so out of place compared to the rest of his customers, and also probably because they were with Strider. He hadn't cared much for the ranger in the book either.

"Well, I'll be downstairs if' you'll be needin' anything else. But try hollering for Nob if you do. As you can see, we're more crowded than usual downstairs." He told the ranger before brushing past the girls to leave.

"Ah, excuse me!" Devin called after the man, stopping him. "What's today's date?"

"Why, September the 29th, of course." He replied matter-of-factly.

"And the year?" She pressed, furrowing her brow slightly.

"3018." He replied, furrowing his own brow. It was one thing to loose track of the days, but the years? "Now, begging your pardon miss, but I have to get back downstairs." He said, excusing himself with a nod of his head.

"Let me guess, Mr. Butterbur?" Devin asked Strider as the two girls stared after the retreating man, stunned by what they had just heard. There had been no lie in the man's eyes. He seriously believed they were in the year 3018 of the Third Age of Middle Earth. That meant entire town was full of crazies, or something in the universe was seriously out of whack.

"Yes." Strider replied calmly as he opened the door and held it open for them to step inside, figuring she must have read the sign above the door and used common sense to figure out that he had just been talking to the owner. Once they were all inside, he shut the door. "Now, talk."

"Don't look at me." Kitty said defensively, glancing at Devin. She was the real _Lord of the Rings_ geek.

"Well, I suppose we'll start of with the simplest part, which is where you can find Frodo Baggins. He'll be coming to this very inn sometime tonight with three other hobbits looking for Gandalf, but they won't find him, so they're gonna need your help." Devin explained calmly before taking a breath. Now for the awkward part. "As for how we came to know this information…" She glanced briefly at Kitty before glancing back at Strider. He was watching her carefully with a piercing gaze. He would probably be able to tell if she was lying, so she should probably stick to the truth as much as possible. "We come from a place far, far away from here, where there is a very special book containing legends and portents pertaining to these lands. We know of the ring and what it will mean if the enemy gets his hands on it, and we have no intention of letting that happen. We just want to get home, but there are certain… complications." She said rather enigmatically.

"Such as being lost?" Strider asked, raising an eyebrow. He could tell she was holding back something, but everything she had been willing to tell him seemed to be the truth.

"Well, that's part of it…" Devin replied hesitantly. She didn't want to go into too much detail until she knew more about the situation.

"Very well." Strider replied calmly after a moment. It was obvious that he wasn't going to get much more out of her for the moment. "If you ladies will excuse me, I believe I had better go back to the common room to wait for our hobbits to arrive." He said, excusing himself before turning and leaving the room.

"Okay… So, what's going on and what's with all the secrecy? Why didn't you just tell him we're from the real world?" Kitty asked once he was gone, crossing her arms. " 'Cause that's where are, right? The Tolkien-verse? It totally breaks the laws of physics, but it would explain everything we've seen since falling into the river."

"Oh my God, Kitty—we can't just tell these people they're fictional characters!" Devin whisper-yelled even though they were alone, giving her friend a look of exasperation. Good thing Kitty had let her do all the talking, or who knows what might've happened.

"Why not?" Kitty asked innocently.

"Well, think about it. How would you feel if some stranger came up and said that to you? How would you react?" Devin asked reasonably.

"I'd call 911 and have their crazy ass thrown into the loony bin." Kitty replied without skipping a beat.

"_Exactly_." Devin said as she crossed the room to look out the window. "We can't just tell him the whole truth, or he'll think we're nuts."

"So you agree with me that we're in some alternate world? I know we're both _Doctor Who_ fans, but I expected a little more resistance on your part to such an illogical idea." Kitty stated honestly.

"It's crazy, but not _completely_ illogical…" Devin replied as bit absently as she stared out the window at the night sky. She frowned slightly at what she saw, or rather, what she didn't see. "Look." She said, stepping back so Kitty could come have a look for herself. "Notice anything odd about the sky?"

"You can totally see a million stars out there?" Kitty asked, furrowing her brow slightly. Was this really the time to be stargazing?

"Yeah, that, _and_ the constellations are completely screwed up." Devin said, shaking her head and pinching the bridge of her nose. She could feel a stress headache coming on. "None of them are where they're supposed to be. We're looking at a totally different sky! Building a town and filling it full of people in elaborate costumes is one thing, but they can't rearrange the stars. We are _definitely_ not in Kansas anymore."

* * *

><p>I have added some links to pics of the OCs and their outfits to my profile for anyone who is interested once they're done reviewing ;)<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

I own nothing but my OC's.

* * *

><p><strong>Previously:<strong>

"So_ you agree with me that we're in some alternate world? I know we're both Doctor Who fans, but I expected a little more resistance on your part to such an illogical idea." Kitty stated honestly._

_"It's crazy, but not completely illogical…" Devin replied as bit absently as she stared out the window at the night sky. She frowned slightly at what she saw, or rather, what she didn't see. "Look." She said, stepping back so Kitty could come have a look for herself. "Notice anything odd about the sky?"_

_"You can totally see a million stars out there?" Kitty asked, furrowing her brow slightly. Was this really the time to be stargazing?_

_"Yeah, that, and the constellations are completely screwed up." Devin said, shaking her head and pinching the bridge of her nose. She could feel a stress headache coming on. "None of them are where they're supposed to be. We're looking at a totally different sky! Building a town and filling it full of people in elaborate costumes is one thing, but they can't rearrange the stars. We are definitely not in Kansas anymore."_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: The Prancing Pony<strong>

* * *

><p>"So what now? How does something like this even happen?" Kitty asked. The whole thing was really confusing, but also kind of amazing.<p>

"I don't know. My head hurts." Devin said, kneading her forehead as she plopped down onto a chair.

"Yes, thinking will do that." Kitty said sagely, nodding her head.

"Oh, shut up. It's just stress." Devin retorted a bit tartly. "Anyway, if we're going to assume this is all real, then the rest of it must be real too. Maybe Gandalf or Elrond will be able to figure out how to send us back. They're old, wise, and magical. They're bound to know _something_ that can help us."

"Does this mean we're going to Rivendell?" Kitty asked, breaking out into a grin. Devin sighed.

"Yeah, we're going to Rivendell." She said, smiling wryly. "But don't get too excited. We have no practical knowledge of how this world works aside from what we can remember from the books, our wilderness survival skills are pretty limited, and our money's no good here. We'll have to see if we can convince Aragorn to let us tag along with him and the hobbits, but if they're real, then so is the danger they're in…" She stopped when she saw the extra wide Cheshire cat grin on her friend's face. "And that part about 'danger' just made you want to do it even more, didn't it?" She asked, face-palming.

"Oh, yeah. We're goin' on an adventure!" Kitty cheered, pumping her fist in the air. "Whoo! Come on, Devin, you're a cheerleader. Where's your pep?"

"Yeah, okay. I guess it is pretty awesome." Devin agreed as she allowed her lips to form a smile. There was no point in worrying about it now, not when they were already in the thick of it. They might as well enjoy the ride. Besides, how often had she pretended to be on some epic quest like this as a child? This was a chance to live the dream. However… "But, Kitty… how much medicine do you have with you?" She asked carefully. Kitty stopped jumping around and blinked.

"I dunno, lots?" She said, shrugging. "I put the whole bottle in the backpack before we left, so… about a month's worth, I guess." She didn't trust the hotel staff. One of them might try to take her happy pills and become a drug dealer. What? It could happen.

"Alright, good. That'll get us to Rivendell." Devin said, nodding. And then her stomach growled really loudly, reminding them that neither of them had eaten in hours. Kitty laughed while Devin blushed. It wasn't that funny.

"Haha, alright, alright. Let's go get something to eat and help Aragorn stalk the hobbits. It'll be like dinner and show." Kitty suggested, grinning impishly.

—\—|—/—

After setting the contents of their bag out to dry, the girls went downstairs to join Aragorn in the common room. The big common room seemed ot be even more bustling and crowded than before. They got a couple of strange stares from some of the other patrons, probably because of their modern clothing, but thankfully no one tried to start anything with them. There were lots of Bree-hobbits huddled together, talking cheerfully amongst themselves, while the Men and Dwarves they passed all seemed to be talking of distant events that hinted at the trouble the two girls already knew was stirring in the South. Many of them seemed to be part of a recent influx of refugees. It was a good thing Aragorn had gone down ahead of them, or they'd have had a hard time finding a decent place to sit. They found him sitting in a dark corner near the fireplace, helped themselves to a chair, and ordered some food and drink. Devin traded her earrings to pay for it.

"They come in yet?" Kitty asked Aragorn as she cut herself a slice of cheese to munch on while Devin tapped the hard biscuit against the plate, trying to break it.

"Just there." Aragorn replied quietly, pointing to a table of three hobbits with his pipe as the fourth walked over with a whole pint of ale and rejoined his friends. Kitty and Devin smiled as they strained their ears to listen in on their conversation in the noisy and crowded room.

"What's that?" The youngest looking one with curly light brown hair, whom Devin guessed was most likely Pippin, asked his blonde friend as he carefully set the large tankard down on the table. He looked like a child trying to drink out of his father's glass, because it was so large he had to use both hands to hold it.

"This, my friend, is a pint." The blonde hobbit replied, grinning, as he tilted the tankard to take a sip.

"It comes in pints?" Pippin asked, amazed. It was like someone had just told the young hobbit that Christmas had come early.

"Mm." The blonde, who was probably Merry, replied while he continued to drink.

"I'm getting one." Pippin stated decisively, nodding his head firmly, as he stood up and rushed off to get a pint of his own.

Devin shared a knowing smile with Kitty. Yep, those two were definitely Pippin and Merry.

"You've had a whole half already!" A dark-blonde hobbit called after him, trying to be sensible. Okay, that had to be Sam, which meant the quiet hobbit with dark-brown hair had to be Frodo.

Devin was enjoying watching the four friends interact with each other, but then she remembered something rather odd… Didn't Merry go out for a walk instead of joining the others for a drink? She was certain that was how it had happened in the book. Yeah, and then Pippin, Sam, and Frodo were supposed to talk to the Bree-hobbits for a bit before Pippin started acting out after getting too much attention; and Frodo had to sing a song or something to distract them before he spilled the beans, only to have it backfire on him when he accidentally slipped and caught the ring on his finger, drawing even more attention to himself by disappearing in front of everyone… But that didn't seem to be what was happening here. It was a very small difference, but like the butterfly effect theory says, even the smallest change could have a huge impact. Devin furrowed her brow slightly, wondering what brought this particular change about and what it could mean for the story. Could their arrival in this world somehow be the cause?

Out the corner of his eye, Aragorn noticed the slightly troubled expression on Devin's face as she watched the hobbits, while Kitty continued to stuff hers, but said nothing, choosing instead to stay on guard while he watched the ring-bearer rather than strike up a conversation.

"Those three have done nothing but stare at you since we arrived." Sam whispered to Frodo, pointing at the three humans, who were seated at a table that was partially in the shadow by the fireplace.

"Excuse me." Frodo said, stopping Butterbur. "That man in the corner. Who is he?" Butterbur glanced over at the table of three. Kitty and Devin gave him a friendly little wave, but he quickly turned away, looking back at Frodo.

"Wow. Rude, much?" Kitty commented, feeling a bit put out. Was he that unfriendly to all of his customers? He could kiss his tip goodbye if he kept that up.

"He's one of them Rangers. They're dangerous folk, wandering the Wilds." Butterbur told Frodo, keeping his voice down so the three humans wouldn't hear him. "What his right name is, I've never heard, but around here, he's known as Strider. I've never seen those two girls who're with him before, and I didn't catch their names, but you can tell there's something queer about them just from the looks of their clothing. I'd be careful of them if I was you, little master." He cautioned the hobbit before getting back to business.

"Strider." Frodo mused aloud, glancing across the room at the mysterious man in the shadows and the two strange girls who were with him.

"He totally just said something bad about us, didn't he?" Kitty asked as she ripped one of the hard biscuits in half, miffed that even in this world people were still talking trash about her.

"Or about 'Strider' here, at the very least." Devin said, glancing briefly at the ranger before propping her head up on one of her hands. Between the ale and the warmth of the fire, she was starting to feel pretty cozy despite the strange circumstances.

"Baggins?" All three of them whipped their heads around, immediately snapping to attention, when they heard Pippin's voice say the taboo name, as did Frodo and Sam. "Sure, I know a Baggins. He's over there. Frodo Baggins." Pippin continued carelessly, seemingly oblivious to the amount of danger he was putting them all in by pointing out Frodo to a group of rather suspicious looking men that were gathered around him by the bar. Kitty started to move to intercept Pippin, but Devin placed a hand on her arm and shook head, giving her a look that said not to interfere. This wasn't their world. It would be totally irresponsible to do something that might screw up everyone else's happy ending. Besides, from the look of things, Frodo was already on it. The troubled hobbit had already hopped up and started heading for his loudmouth cousin. "He's my second cousin, once removed on his mother's side; and my third cousin, twice removed on his mother's side." Pippin added before stopping to take a sip of ale from his pint.

"Pippin!" Frodo shouted, reaching for his cousin as he rushed over to him and turned the younger hobbit to face him.

"Steady on, Frodo." Pippin said when the action caused him to spill some of his ale as he turned. Frodo slipped on the spilled liquid as Pippin pulled his arm away and tripped over one the larger men's feet. Aragorn, Devin, and Kitty held their breath as they watched the hobbit fall backwards onto the floor while a gold ring, _the Ring_, flew up into the air above him. Time seemed to slow down as their eyes widened, and Frodo reached up his hand, trying to catch the ring. He touched it with the tip of one of his fingers, and then suddenly, the hobbit was gone, as if he had just vanished into thin air. While the people around the seemingly empty spot on the floor let out a few startled cries, caught totally off-guard by the spectacle they had just witnessed, Aragorn sprang into action, scanning the room for any signs that might indicate where the invisible hobbit might have got to, and Devin and Kitty quickly followed after him. They caught sight of Frodo hiding beneath one of the tables by the stairs as soon as he pulled off the ring. Aragorn stepped forward and grabbed the hobbit.

"!" Frodo yelped in surprise when he was hoisted back onto his feet and dragged into the staircase by the Ranger for a little private conversation.

"You draw far too much attention to yourself, 'Mr. Underhill'." Aragorn scolded Frodo in a low voice before herding him up the stairs with Kitty and Devin on his heels. Aragorn pushed Frodo into their room before brushing past the hobbit so he could extinguish the candles while Devin shut the door and Kitty blocked Frodo's way out. This was a conversation that needed to happen.

"I can avoid being seen if I wish… but to disappear entirely, that is a rare gift." Aragorn said, removing his hood, as he turned back to face Frodo.

"Who are you?" Frodo asked.

"Are you frightened?" Aragorn asked.

"Yes." Frodo replied honestly.

"Not nearly frightened enough." Aragorn retorted ominously. "I know what hunts you."

"Yeah, and it ain't pretty." Kitty added.

"Um, Kitty, let's let Strider handle this, okay?" Devin said, stepping away from the door just in time to avoid being hit in the face with it when it abruptly burst open. Aragorn instinctively drew his sword the minute the door started to move, prepared to defend Frodo and the ring if it should prove to be the enemy, but there was no need. It was just Sam, Merry, and Pippin, come to save their friend.

Devin furrowed her brow. Wait, wasn't his sword supposed to still be broken at this point in the story? It looked like the story must have somehow gotten off track even before their untimely arrival…

"Let him go! Or I'll have you, Longshanks!" Sam shouted, brandishing his fists threateningly at the tall man while Merry and Pippin backed him up, armed with a candlestick and chair. Kitty smiled bemusedly at the three of them, amused by their choice of weapons.

"You have a stout heart, little Hobbit." Aragorn complimented Sam as he re-sheathed his sword. "But that will not save you. You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frodo. They're coming."

The hobbits looked reluctant to trust him, and to someone who didn't know any better, Aragorn would've indeed looked mighty suspicious. Devin knew she probably wouldn't appear much better in the hobbits' eyes, but she decided to give it a shot.

"Tomorrow you will have to escape, if you can. You will have to leave the open road after tonight; for the riders in black will watch it night and day. You may escape from Bree and be allowed to go forward while the sun is up, but you won't get far. They'll come upon you in the Wild, in some dark place where there is no help. Do you want them to find you? Because they will do unspeakable things to you if they do. Strider knows how to survive in the Wild and can take you by paths that are seldom traveled. Your only chance is to make for Rivendell, and we can take you there." Aragorn glanced at her for the 'we' part. He did not see why they should come as well. "Will you have him?" She asked. There was another heavy silence while the hobbits considered her words. Frodo made no answer. His mind was confused with doubt and fear. Sam frowned, looked at his master, and at last he broke out:

"With your leave, Mr. Frodo, I'd say _no_! This Strider here, he warns and he says take care; and I say _yes_ to that, and let's begin with him and his companions. He comes out of the Wild, and I've never heard no good of such folk. These three know something, that's plain, and more than I like; but it's no reason why we should let him go leading us out into some dark place far from help, as she puts it." Kitty raised an eyebrow. What, no special mention about her? That was no fun. Pippin fidgeted and looked uncomfortable, not sure if he should set the chair down yet or not. Strider did not reply to Sam, but turned his keen eyes on Frodo. Frodo caught his glance and looked away.

"No," Frodo said slowly. "I don't agree. I think you are not really as you choose to look." He told Strider. "Still Sam seems right in this. I don't see why you should warn us to take care, and yet ask us to take you on trust. Why the disguise? Who are you? What do you really know about my business, and how do you know it?"

"The lesson on caution has been well learned." Strider said with a grim smile. "But caution is one thing and wavering is another. You will never get to Rivendell now on your own, and to trust me is your only chance. You must make up your mind. I will answer some of your questions if that will help you to do so. But why should you believe my story if you do not trust me already? Still, here it is—"

But at that moment, before the ranger could say another word, there came a knock at the door. Mr. Butterbur had arrived with candles, and behind him was a hobbit with cans of hot water. Strider and the girls withdrew into a dark corner.

"I've come to bid you good night." Said the landlord, putting the candles on the table. "Nob! Take the water to the rooms." He came in and shut the door. "It's like this," Butterbur began, hesitating and looking troubled, "if I've done any harm , I'm sorry indeed. But one thing drives out another, as you'll admit; and I'm a busy man. But first one thing and then another this week have jogged my memory, as the saying goes; and not too late I hope. You see, I was asked to look out for hobbits of the Shire, and for one by the name of Baggins in particular."

"And what has that got to do with me?" Frodo asked warily.

"Ah! You know best." Butterbur said knowingly. "I won't give you away, but I was told that this Baggins would be going by the name of Underhill, and I was given a description that fits you well enough, if I may say so."

"Well, let's have it then!" Frodo said, unwisely interrupting.

"_A stout little fellow with red cheeks_," Butterbur began quoting solemnly, earning a chuckle from Pippin. Sam looked indignant on Frodo's behalf. "_That won't help you much; it goes for most hobbits, Barley_, he says to me," the landlord continued, "_but this one is taller than some and fairer than most—perky little chap with bright eye. _Begging your pardon, but he said it, not me."

"_He_ said it? And who was he?" Frodo asked eagerly.

"Ah! That was Gandalf, if you know who I mean. A wizard they say he is, but he's a good friend of mine, whether or no. But now I don't know what he'll have to say to me, if I see him again—turn all my ale sour or me into a block of wood, I shouldn't wonder. He's a bit hasty. Still, what's done can't be undone."

"Well, what have you done?" Frodo asked, getting impatient with the slow unraveling of Butterbur's thoughts. Kitty seconded that emotion.

"Where was I?" asked the landlord, pausing and snapping his fingers. "Ah, yes! Old Gandalf. Three months back he walked right into my room without a knock. _Barley, _he says, _I'm off in the morning. Will you do something for me? You've only to name it_, I said. _I'm in a hurry, _said he, _and I've no time myself, but I want a message taken to the Shire. Have you anyone you can send, and trust to go? I can find someone, _I said, _tomorrow, maybe, or the day after. Make it tomorrow, _he says, and then he gave me a letter. It's addressed plain enough." Said Butterbur, producing a letter from his pocket, and reading out the address slowly and proudly (for he valued his reputation as a lettered man):

_Mr. FRODO BAGGINS, BAG END, HOBBITON in the SHIRE._

"A letter for me from Gandalf!" exclaimed Frodo excitedly.

"Ah!" said Butterbur. "Then your right name is Baggins?"

"It is, and you had better give me that letter at once and explain why you never sent it." Frodo told him. "That's what you came to tell me, I suppose, though you've taken a long time to come to the point." Poor Butterbur looked troubled.

"You're right, master," he said, "and I beg your pardon. And I'm mortal afraid of what Gandalf will say, if harm comes of it. But I didn't keep it back a-purpose. I put it by safe. Then I couldn't find nobody willing to go to the Shire next day, nor the day after, and none of my own folk were to spare; and then one thing after another drove it out of my mind. I'm a busy man. I'll do what I can to set matters right, and if there's any help I can give, you've only to name it. Leaving the letter aside, I promised Gandalf no less. _Barley, _he says to me, _this friend of mine from the Shire, he may be coming out this way before long, him and another. He'll be calling himself Underhill. Mind that! But you need ask no questions. And if I'm not with him, he may be in trouble, and he may need help. Do whatever you can for him, and I'll be grateful, _he says. And here you are, and trouble is not far off, seemingly."

"What do you mean?" asked Frodo.

"These black men," Butterbur said, lowering his voice. "They're looking for _Baggins_, and if they mean well, then I'm a hobbit. It was Monday, and all the dogs were yammering and the geese screaming. Uncanny, I called it. Nob, he came and told me that two black men were at the door asking for a hobbit called Baggins. Nob's hair was all stood on end. I bid the black fellows be off and slammed the door on them, but they've been asking the same question all the way to Archet, I hear. And that Ranger, Strider, he's been asking questions, too. Tried to get in here to see you before you'd had a bite or sup, he did."

"He did!" Strider said suddenly, stepping forward into the light. "And much trouble would have been saved, if you had let him in, Barliman." The landlord jumped in surprise.

"You!" he cried. "You're always popping up. What do you want now?" He asked as the two girls came forward as well, following Aragorn's lead.

"They are here with my leave." Frodo said. "They came to offer me their help."

"Well, you know your own business, maybe." Butterbur said, eyeing the three of them suspiciously. "But if I was in your plight, I wouldn't take up with a Ranger."

"Then who would you take up with?" Kitty asked saucily, putting her hands on her hips. "A fat innkeeper who can't even remember to do something as simple as mail a little letter?"

"They can't stay at _The Pony_ forever, and they can't go home." Devin added a bit more calmly. "They have a long journey before them. Will you go with them and keep the black men off their tails?"

"Me? Leave Bree! I wouldn't do that for any money." Butterbur said, looking really scared. "But why can't you stay here quiet for a bit, Mr. Underhill? What are all these queer goings on? What are these black men after, and where do they come from, I'd like to know?"

_No you wouldn't._ Devin and Kitty thought.

"I'm sorry I can't explain it all." Answered Frodo. "I am tired and very worried, and it's a long tale. But if you mean to help me, I ought to warn you that you will be in danger as long as I am in your house. These Black Riders: I am not sure, but I think, I fear they come from—"

"They come from Mordor." Aragorn said in a low voice. "From Mordor, Barliman, if that means anything to you."

"Save us!" cried Butterbur, turning pale. Evidently the name was known to him. "That is the worst news that has come to Bree in my time."

"It is." Frodo agreed. "Are you still willing to help me?"

"I am." Said Butterbur. "More than ever. Though I don't know what the likes of me can do against, against—" He faltered.

"Against the Shadow in the East." Aragorn finished for him quietly. "Not much, Barliman, but every little bit helps. You can let Mr. Underhill stay here tonight, as Mr. Underhill, and you can forget the name of Baggins, till he is far away."

"I'll do that." Said Butterbur. "But they'll find out he's here without help from me, I'm afraid. It's a pity Mr. Baggins drew attention to himself this evening, to say no more. The story of that Mr. Bilbo's going off has been heard before in Bree. Even our Nob has been doing some guessing in his slow pate; and there are others in Bree quicker on the uptake than he is."

"Well, we can only hope the riders won't come back yet." Said Frodo.

"I hope not, indeed." Butter said. "But spooks or no spooks, they won't get in _The Pony_ so easy. Don't you worry till the morning. Nob'll say no word. No black man shall pass my doors. While I can stand on my legs. Me and my folk'll keep watch tonight; but you had best get some sleep, if you can."

"In any case we must be called at dawn." Frodo said. Kitty grimaced slightly at the thought of having to get up so early. "We must get off as early as possible. Breakfast at six-thirty, please."

"Right! I'll see to the orders." Butterbur said. "Good night, Mr. Baggins—Underhill, I should say! Good night. I must go and bar the doors quick. Good night to you all!" At last Mr. Butterbur went out, with another doubtful look at Strider and the girls and a shake of his head. They waited and listened while his footsteps retreated down the hall.

"Well?" asked Aragorn. "When are you going to open that letter?" Frodo looked carefully at the seal before opening it. It certainly seemed to be Gandalf's. Inside, written in the wizard's strong but graceful script was the following message:

_THE PRANCING PONY, BREE, Midyear's Day, Shire Year, 1418._

_Dear Frodo,  
>Bad news has reached me here. I must go off at once. You had better leave Bag End soon, and get out of the Shire before the end of July at latest. I will return as soon as I can; and I will follow you, if I find that you are gone. Leave a message for me here if you pass through Bree. You can trust the landlord (Butterbur). You may meet a friend of mine on the Road: a Man, lean, dark, tall, by some called Strider. He knows our business and will help you. Make for Rivendell. There I hope we may meet again. If I do not come, Elrond will advise you.<br>Yours in haste,  
>GANDALF.<em>

Next to the wizard's name was signed the rune for 'G'.

_P.S. Do NOT use it again, not for any reason whatever! Do not travel by night!  
>P.P.S. Make sure that it is the real Strider. There are many strange men on the roads. His true name is Aragorn.<em>

_All that is gold does not glitter,_  
><em>Not all those who wander are lost;<br>The old that is strong does not wither,  
>Deep roots are not reached by the frost.<br>From the ashes a fire shall be woken,  
>A light from the shadows shall spring;<br>Renewed shall be the blade that was broken,  
>The crownless again shall be king.<em>

_P.P.P.S. I hope Butterbur sends this promptly. A worthy man, but his memory is like a lumber-room: thing wanted always buried. If he forgets, I shall roast him.  
>Fare Well!<em>

Frodo read the letter himself then passed it onto his friends.

"Really, old Butterbur has made a mess of things!" He said. "He deserves roasting. If I had got this at once, we might all be safe in Rivendell by now. But what can have happened to Gandalf? He writes as if he was going into great danger."

"He has been doing that for many years." Aragorn said while Devin exchanged a knowing look with Kitty. Frodo turned and looked at the tall man thoughtfully, wondering about Gandalf's second postscript.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were Gandalf's friend at once?" He asked. "It would have saved time."

"Would it?" Aragorn asked. "Would any of you have believed me till now? I knew nothing of this letter. For all I knew, I had to persuade you to trust me without proofs, if I was to help you. In any case, I did not intend to tell you all about myself at once. I had to study _you_ first, and make sure of you. The Enemy has set traps for me before. As soon as I made up my mind, I was ready to tell you whatever you asked. But I must admit," he said with an odd laugh, "that I hoped you would take to me for my own sake. A hunted man sometimes wearies of distrust and longs for friendship. But there, I believe my looks are against me."

"Meh. I've seen worse." Kitty said, shrugging. One of her exes had been into Grunge.

"They are—at first sight at any rate." Laughed Pippin, relieved after reading Gandalf's letter. "But handsome is as handsome does, as we say in the Shire; and I daresay we shall all look much the same after lying for days in hedges and ditches." Kitty made a face, not at all looking forward to such an experience.

"It would take more than a few days, or weeks, or years, of wandering in the Wild to make you look like me." Aragorn replied. "And you would die first, unless you are made of sterner stuff than you appear to be." He didn't want them taking the journey to lightly and getting themselves into more trouble. Pippin subsided, but Sam remained undaunted, and he still eyed the ranger dubiously.

"How do we know you are the Strider that Gandalf speaks about?" Sam demanded. "You never mentioned Gandalf, till this letter came out; and he didn't make no mention of them." He nodded in Devin and Kitty's direction. "You might be play-acting spy, for all I can see, trying to get us to go with you. You might have done in the real Strider and took his clothes. What have you to say to that?"

"That you are a stout fellow," answered Aragorn, "but I am afraid my only answer to you, Sam Gamgee, is this. If I had killed the real Strider, I could kill _you_. And I should have killed you already without so much talk. If I was after the Ring, I could gave it—_now!"_ He stood up and seemed suddenly to grow taller. In his eyes gleamed a light, keen and commanding. Throwing back his cloak, he laid his hand on the hilt of his sword. The hobbits didn't dare move. Sam sat wide-mouthed, staring at him dumbly. "But I _am_ the real Strider, fortunately." Aragorn continued, looking down at them with his face softened by a sudden smile. "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn; and if by life or death I can save you, I will."

"And we're travelers from a distant land looking for a way home. I am Devin Gladwin, and my friend here is Kitty Larson." Devin added, riding on the curtails of his speech. "Gandalf didn't mention us because he doesn't know about us, but we know about him, and the special item you carry. Since we also have need to seek counsel with the wizard and Lord Elrond, we would appreciate being allowed to tag along. In return, we will help Aragorn protect you to the best of our abilities."

"But preferably not to the death. Ow." Kitty said, wincing slightly when Devin stepped on her foot for making such an unnecessary comment.

"Anyway, don't worry about Gandalf. He can take care of himself." Devin said. "I'm sure you'll be able to see him again once we reach Rivendell."

There was a long silence while the hobbits considered all that they had just heard. At last Frodo spoke with hesitation.

"I believed that you were friends before the letter came," he said, "or at least I wished to. You have frightened me several times tonight, but never in a way that servants of the Enemy would, or so I imagine. I think one of his spies would—well, seem fairer and feel fouler, if you understand."

"I see." Aragorn laughed. These hobbits were pretty bold.

"So we look foul and feel fair. Is that it?" Devin asked with a wry smile, slightly chagrined.

"Oi, we'd better _not_ be included in that." Kitty quipped, frowning slightly. They didn't look that bad, did they?

"Well, with Sam's permission, we will call that settled." Aragorn said decisively. "I shall be your guide, and these girls shall help in whatever way they can. We shall have a rough road tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Into the Wild<br>**

* * *

><p>After setting up a nice decoy for the enemy in the hobbits' room, they prepared themselves for bed and tucked themselves in for the night. Since the bed was large and the hobbits and Devin were small, all five of them could fit in it laying at opposite ends with their feet touching in the middle. Devin kept her soaks on so their hairy hobbit feet wouldn't tickle her, because as much as she liked hobbits, that would just be kind of weird. Kitty had stretched out on the floor with a blanket and pillow near the fireplace, while Aragorn sat in the armchair beside the window, keeping watch. Devin felt like she had been trying to sleep for hours, but she just couldn't, so she gave up and turned on her stomach to face Aragorn since Kitty was out like a light.<p>

"Can't sleep?" Strider asked quietly when he felt her stare.

"No. To be honest, there's something that's bothering me." She answered lowly. "Do you remember how I told you we knew of certain portents and prophecies regarding this world?"

"Yes." He said, though he had been certain she had only said 'land' before, not world.

"Well, these… prophecies… they tend to be very specific, and I've noticed some discrepancies between what should have been and what actually came to pass. The end result was the same, but I can't help being bothered by it. It makes me wonder what else may have changed…"

"I see. Well, foretelling the future is not an exact art." Aragorn said reasonably.

"And you would know." She said, smiling knowingly at him. In the books, he had a limited gift of foresight due to his heritage.

"Yes, I suppose I would." He replied with a slight smile.

"But I was really surprised to see that you've already had Narsil reforged." She added. Aragorn blinked and stared at her, a little caught off guard by such a statement.

"What makes you say that?" He asked.

"Earlier, when you drew your sword, it was in one piece, but Narsil was supposed to still be broken according to what we know." She replied.

"It is still broken." He told her. Devin furrowed her brow in confusion. "The shards of Narsil are in Rivendell, where they are being kept under the care and protection of Lord Elrond."

Devin stared at him for a moment with furrowed brow, obviously troubled by what she had just heard.

"You should ask him to have it reforged for you." She said after awhile.

"Why?" He asked. "I have no need of such an heirloom from Isildur as proof of my heritage when I have no intention of becoming king. Or did your prophecy tell you otherwise?"

"I don't want to give too much away and end up spoiling the ending for you, but I will say this, Aragorn. You will need that sword before the end. Whether you wish to follow my advice or not is your choice." She said, frowning, slightly in disappointment as she turned away and lack back in bed. That hadn't been Aragorn's attitude in the book. He should have been on his way to Rivendell have the broken sword reforged as well as to escort Frodo and the others. Aragorn had not had the doubt she saw flicker briefly in his eyes at the thought of becoming king. In the book, he had been more prepared to fulfill his destiny, he had just been waiting for the right time. This version of Middle Earth was different. "For better or worse." She mumbled aloud, closing her eyes.

Aragorn stared at the strange girl for a moment longer, pondering her cryptic words, before glancing back out the window. They way she seemed to speak in riddles half the time reminded him of Gandalf. Perhaps that was part of the reason why he had been so quick to decide to give the girls a chance…

Devin hadn't been sleeping for long when several blood-curdling screeches pierced the night, startling her and the hobbits awake. Kitty was still fast asleep, drooling into her pillow. Nothing short of a bucket of cold water in the face could wake that girl up before she was ready to.

"Was that the Black Riders?" Devin asked warily. The sound alone sent shivers down her spine.

"What are they?" Frodo asked. Aragorn glanced at them.

"They were once men." He replied. "Great kings of Men. Then Sauron the Deceiver gave to them nine rings of power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without question. One by one, falling into darkness." Aragorn glanced back out the window as another terrible screech was heard and watched as the Black Riders remounted their black steeds and took off into the night, leaving Bree without their quarry. "Now they are slaves to his will." He glanced back at them once the wraiths were gone. "They are the Nazgûl. Ringwraiths. Neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the Ring, drawn to the power of the One. They will never stop hunting you."

—/-|-\—

Despite Aragorn's ominous warning, the hobbits and Devin soon fell asleep again and didn't awake again until they heard a cock crowing rather enthusiastically in the inn-yard. They slowly sat up and began rubbing the sleep from their eyes. Aragorn pushed back the shutters with a clang. The first grey light of day was in the room, and a cold air was coming through the open window. Everyone but Devin started when a strange continuous beeping sound was suddenly heard. Aragorn glanced around the room and realized it was coming from the black rectangular device that a very drowsy Kitty was now pulling out from underneath her pillow. She had set an alarm on her smart-phone before going to bed since that was just about the only thing that could get her up short of an ice cube down the back of her shirt most mornings.

"Alright, I heard you already! Shut up!" She snapped moodily at the odd device as she stabbed at the screen with her index finger, canceling it before she gave in to the urge to throw it against a wall.

"What was that?" Merry asked as the hobbits all stared at her with wide eyes. "This, my dear hobbits, is a smart-phone. A magical device that can be used to do almost anything imaginable from waking you up in the morning to playing all your favorite songs and games. You can even use to talk to friends and family hundreds of miles away… _usually._ Unfortunately, there's no cell service out here." The hobbits blinked while Devin face-palmed and shook her head. What was she doing? What happened to trying to keep a low profile until they could get home?

"So, it's magic? Are you two wizards, then?" Pippin asked.

"No, she's messing with you. It's just an advanced piece of technology from our homeland. There's no magic involved." Devin explained. Besides, there's no way they could be wizards since they were all, without exception, actually Maiar sent to Middle Earth in the form of old men as a way to limit their power. But she was pretty sure the hobbits didn't know that, and they had enough to worry their curly little heads about already. As soon as they were all up and about, Aragorn led the way to the hobbits' bedroom. When they saw its state, they were glad they had taken his advice: the windows had been forced open and were swinging, and the curtains were flapping; the beds were tossed about, and the bolsters left in their places were slashed and flung upon the floor.

"Wow. They must've been pissed after realizing they'd been tricked." Kitty remarked.

Aragorn immediately went to fetch the landlord. Poor Mr. Butterbur looked sleepy and frightened. He had hardly closed his eyes all night (so he said), but he had never heard a sound.

"Never has such a thing happened in my time!" He cried, raising his hands in horror. "Guests unable to sleep in their beds, and good bolsters ruined and all! What are we coming to?"

"Dark times." Aragorn replied. "But for the present, you may be left in peace, when you have gotten rid of us. We will leave at once. Never mind about breakfast—a drink and bite standing will have to do. We shall be packed in a few minutes."

Mr. Butterbur hurried off to see to that their ponies were got ready, and went to fetch them a 'bite'. Kitty was just about to point out that she and Devin didn't have anything to ride, when Butterbur soon came rushing back in dismay. They ponies had vanished! The stable doors had all been opened in the night, and they were gone—not only Merry's ponies, but every other horse and beast in the place.

Frodo was crushed by the news, clearly wondering how they could possibly hope to reach Rivendell on foot while pursued by mounted enemies, but Kitty noticed Devin didn't seem at all surprised by this turn of events. Must've happened in the book, too. Honestly, she didn't remember too much about this part. She had skimmed ahead to the more actiony bits.

"Ponies would not help us to escape the horsemen." Aragorn said at last after giving further thought to the situation, as if he had guessed what Frodo was thinking. "We should not go much slower on foot, not on the roads I mean to take. I was going to walk in any case. It is the food and stores that trouble me. We cannot count on getting anything to eat between here and Rivendell, except what we take with us; and we ought to take plenty to spare; for we may be delayed, or forced to roundabout, far out of the direct way. How much are you prepared to carry on your backs?"

"As much as we must." Pippin said with a sinking heart, but trying to show that he was tougher than he looked (or felt).

"Well, Kitty and I are used to carrying up to sixty pounds thanks to all our heavy school books, and we're used to marching relatively long distances, so we could probably take a little more on." Devin said.

"Great. This is going to be like band camp training all over again." Kitty muttered darkly under her breath.

"I can carry enough for two." Sam said defiantly.

"Can't anything be done, Mr. Butterbur?" Frodo asked. "Can't we get a couple of ponies in the village, or even hire one just for the baggage? I don't suppose we could hire them, but we might be able to buy them." He added doubtfully, wondering if he could afford it. Kitty quickly put her hands over her earrings, covering them protectively. No way was she trading these babies; they were her favorite pair!

"I doubt it." Butterbur said unhappily. "The two or three riding-ponies that were in Bree were stabled in my yard, and they're gone. As for the other animals, horses or ponies for draught or what not, there are very few of them in Bree, and they won't be for sale. But I'll do what I can. I'll rout out Bob and send him round as soon as may be."

"Yes," said Aragorn reluctantly, "you had better do that. I am afraid we shall have to try and get one pony at least. But so ends all hope of starting early and slipping away quietly. We might as well have blown a horn to announce our departure. That was their plan, no doubt."

"There is one crumb of comfort." Merry said. "And more than a crumb, I hope: we can have breakfast while we wait—and sit down to it. Let's get hold of Nob!"

—/-|-\—

In the end there was more than three hours delay. Bob had come back with the report that no horse or pony was to be got for love or money in the neighborhood—except one: Bill Ferny had one he might possibly sell, but he was known to be a thoroughly unscrupulous man, whom they had also noticed had been watching the hobbits while conspiring with a an ill-looking Southerner the previous evening. They suspected he might have had a hand in helping to sabotage them. It was a poor old half-starved creature.

"Bill Ferny?" Frodo said. "Isn't there some trick? Wouldn't the beast bolt back to him with all our stuff, or help in tracking us, or something?"

"I wonder," said Aragorn, "but I cannot imagine any animal running home to him, once it got away. I fancy this is only an afterthought of kind Master Ferny's—just a way of increasing his profits from the affair. The chief danger is that the poor beast is probably at death's door. But there does not seem to be any choice. What does he want it for?"

Bill Ferny's price was twelve silver pennies, at least three times the pony's value in those parts. It proved to be a bony, underfed, and dispirited animal; but it did not look like dying just yet. Mr. Butterbur paid for it himself, and offered Merry another eighteen pence as some compensation for the lost animals. He was an honest man, and well-off as things were reckoned in Bree; but thirty silver pennies was a sore blow to him, and being cheated by Bill Ferny made it harder to bear. The blame for the rest of the missing horses ended up falling on the squinty-eyed southerner once it became known that he had disappeared as well during the night, so Butterbur managed to avoid being harassed too much by the other guests when they came looking for their rides.

After breakfast, the hobbits had to repack and get together further supplies for the longer journey they were now expecting. The girls managed to squeeze a couple more things into their own pack after removing Kitty's trumpet case (which she never went anywhere without) and an open pack of Jammie Dodgers that were still waterlogged and just completely beyond saving.

"Let us never forget, that the Doctor once attempted to save the universe by passing one of these off as a self-destruct button for the TARDIS." Kitty said dramatically, sniffing, as they performed last rites for their tasty snack and lowered it down into the waste basket.

"I know. It's always hard to loose a good snack, isn't it?" Pippin said sympathetically, patting them on the back. He didn't understand the fandom reference, but he knew good food when he saw it.

It was close to ten o'clock when they finally set off. By that time, the whole of Bree was buzzing with excitement. Frodo's vanishing trick; the appearance of the black horsemen; the robbing of the stables; and not the least the news that Strider the Ranger had joined the mysterious hobbits, made such a tale as would last for many uneventful years. The road was crowded with people who were waiting to see the travellers start, and the other guests in the inn were at the doors or hanging out of the windows.

"Jeez, don't these people have anything better to do?" Kitty had asked before Devin reminded her that they probably didn't because there was no TV or internet in Middle Earth.

Aragorn had changed his mind, and he decided to leave Bree by the main road. Any attempt to set off across country at once would only make matters worse: half the inhabitants would follow them, to see what they were up to and to prevent them from trespassing. They said farewell to Nob and Bob, and took leave of Mr. Butterbur with many thanks.

"I hope we shall meet again someday, when things are merry once more." Said Frodo. "I should like nothing better than to stay in your house in peace for awhile."

Then they tramped off, anxious and downhearted, under the eyes of the crowd. Not all the faces were friendly, nor all the words that were shouted. Devin chose not to dignify such remarks with a response, but Kitty was only too happy to return the favor by flipping a few of them off. Aragorn seemed to be held in awe by most of the Bree-landers, and those he stared at shut their mouths and drew away. He walked in front with Frodo; next came Merry and Pippin; then Devin and Kitty; and last came Sam leading the pony, which was laden with as much of their baggage as they had the heart to give it. In fact, Kitty had taken one of the other packs to carry to spare the poor thing an extra thirty or forty pounds while Devin carried their pack. Kitty had a special place in her heart for horses since her family used to own a ranch back when they used to live in Texas. Actually, the poor pony already looked less dejected, as if it approved of the change in its fortunes and ownership.

After awhile, the hobbits took no notice of the inquisitive heads that peeped out of doors or popped over walls and fences as they passed. But as they drew near to the further gate, the girls saw a dark, ill-kept house behind a thick hedge—the last house in the village. In one of the windows they caught a glimpse of a sallow face with sly, slanting eyes, but it vanished at once. Frodo noticed it, too.

'So that's where that southerner is hiding!' he thought. 'He looks more than half like a goblin.'

Over the hedge another man was staring boldly at their group. He had heavy black brows, and dark, scornful eyes; his large mouth curled in a sneer. He was smoking a short black pipe. As they approached, he took it out of his mouth and spat.

"Morning, Longshanks!" he said. "Off early? Found some friends at last?" Aragorn nodded but did not answer. Devin rolled her eyes. That was _so_ middle school. She had to grab hold of her friend when she noticed Kitty was rolling up her sleeves and shooting laser eyes at the oily jerk, probably contemplating getting revenge for the poor abused pony. Devin was really tempted to let her, but it was better if they left as quickly and quietly as possible. She wasn't sure hoe effective the police or whatever kind of law enforcement Bree had might be, and she didn't want her to end up in jail with an assault charge while Aragorn and the hobbits continued on to Rivendell without them. "Morning my little friends! Ladies!" Ferny greeted the rest of them. "I suppose you know who you've taken up with? That's Stick-at-nought Strider, that is! Though I've heard other names not so pretty, watch out tonight!" Devin and Kitty both shot him a look of extreme disdain. "And you, Sammie, don't go ill-treating my poor pony! Pah!" He spat again. Sam turned quickly.

"And you, Ferny," he said, "put your ugly face out of sight, or it'll get hurt." With a sudden flick, quick as lightening, the apple he had been munching on left his hand and hit Bill square on the nose. He ducked to late, and curses came from behind the hedge. "Waste of a good apple, that was." Sam said regretfully and turned back to continue on, only to find himself face to face with a grinning Kitty.

"Have a biscuit, Sam." She told him, generously offering him a couple of Oreos from the package she had just retrieved from their backpack and opened up especially to reward him for his excellent aim. Sam accepted the cookies and found them to be quite delicious.

—/-|-\—

At last, they had left the village behind; and the escort of children and stragglers that followed them had gotten tired and turned back after they passed through the South-gate. They kept on along the Road for some miles, passing some of the houses and hobbit-holes of Staddle on the gentler southern slopes of Bree-hill; down in a deep hollow away north of the Road there were wisps of smoke that showed where Combe lay; Archet was hidden in the trees beyond. These humble sights might not mean much in the face of what was to come, but Devin found it fascinating to see all these places in person after having grown up hearing and reading about them. She couldn't wait to see Rivendell.

Unfortunately, the rest of the journey was not nearly as pleasant as its beginning had been. Aragorn soon announced that it was time to leave the road and led them into the Wild, down to a valley. It was actually rather pleasant. The sun was shining, clear but not too hot. The woods in the valley were still leafy and wholesome.

"Um, Strider." Devin said, tapping Aragorn on the shoulder. He paused and glanced back at her. "I think we're about to lose Kitty and the hobbits." She warned him, pointing back at the five hungry hippos who had abruptly decided to stop and start unpacking the cooking-ware.

"Gentlemen, Miss Kitty, we do not stop till nightfall." He reminded them.

"What about breakfast?" Pippin asked.

"You've already had it." Aragorn said.

"We've had one, yes." Pippin agreed. "What about second breakfast?"

"It's a legitimate mealtime for hobbits." Kitty quipped, supporting the idea of an early snack. Aragorn just turned away and started walking again, expecting them to take the hint and follow. Devin shrugged and sent them an apologetic look before turning and going after him. They needed really to keep moving. This wasn't some casual picnic they were on; they were being hunted by creepy Ringwraiths.

"I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip." Merry said as he and Kitty pulled their packs back on, and she grabbed her trumpet case; and Sam and Frodo put the pots back in the packs on the pony's back.

"What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?" Pippin asked anxiously as he followed his cousin when he started walking.

"I wouldn't count on it." Merry told him.

"Whoa, heads up!" Kitty said when she spotted an apple flying towards them. Merry reached up and managed to catch it before it hit him in the face. He looked at the apple in his hand and handed it to Pippin, giving his cousin a pat on the back before continuing on his way. Pippin stared after his cousin and Kitty for a moment, wondering where the apple had come from, when another one came sailing through the air and bounced off his head. Pippin stumbled and glanced around bewilderedly, wondering where it had gone to.

"Pippin!" Merry called, urging him forward.

With the matter of second breakfast somewhat resolved, the group continued on without any further unscheduled stops. Aragorn guided them confidently among the many crossing paths, although left to themselves they would soon have been at a loss. He was taking a wandering course with many turns and doublings, to put off any pursuit. Whether because of his skill or some other reason, they saw no sign and heard no sound of any other living thing all that day: neither two-footed, except birds; nor four-footed, except one fox and a few squirrels. The girls bonded with the hobbits a bit more by discussing favorite foods and teaching them a few road trip games, which Aragorn allowed provided they promise to keep their voices down. The next day, they began to steer a steady course eastwards; and still all was quiet and peaceful. Devin and Kitty made supper and helped the hobbits discover the joy of pizza as a result. On the third day out from Bree they came out of the Chetwood. The land had been falling steadily, ever since they turned aside from the Road, and they now entered a a wide flat expanse of country, much more difficult to manage. They were far beyond the borders of the Bree-land, out in the pathless wilderness, and drawing nearer to the Midgewater Marshes. When the girls saw where they were headed, they paused momentarily to pull out some bug spray and quickly applied it to themselves and offered to share some with the others, but they declined, finding the smell offensive. The ground soon became damp, and in places boggy here in there they came upon pools, and wide stretches of reeds and rushes filled with the warbling of little hidden birds. They had to pick their way carefully to keep both dry-footed and on their proper course.

"You're sucha Disney princess." Kitty commented when she accidentally disturbed a group of concealed birds, and a small finch flew up and landed briefly on Devin's head before hopping off and taking flight once again. Aragorn and the hobbits didn't understand the reference, but both the girls seemed to find it rather amusing.

At first, they made fair progress, but as they went on, their passage became slower and more dangerous; their level of comfort began to plummet drastically. The marshes were bewildering and treacherous, and there was no permanent trail even for Rangers to find through their shifting quagmires. The flies began to torment them, and the air was full of cloud of midges that crept up their sleeves and breeches and into their hair. The only ones who were completely unaffected by the pests were Devin and Kitty, whom seemed to have some invisible force-field around them, as no midges dared to land on them. Aragorn was not so fortunate, but he bore his discomfort with grace and dignity. Unfortunately, the same could not be said of the poor hobbits, who were less used to coping with swarms of biting insects.

"I'm being eaten alive!" cried Pippin. "Midgewater! There are more midges than water!"

"What do they eat when they can't get hobbit_!_?" Merry asked, slapping his neck in an attempt to kill one or two of the ones currently biting him.

They spent a miserable day in this lonely and unpleasant country. Their camping-place was damp, cold, and uncomfortable; and the biting insects would not let them sleep until they had applied some of the foul-smelling bug spray, which stung when it hit wherever they had already been bitten. There were also abominable creatures haunting the reeds and tussocks that from the sound of them were evil relatives of the cricket. There were thousands of them, and they squeaked all around, _neek-breek, neek-breek,_ unceasingly all through the night, until the hobbits were nearly frantic. They didn't know how Aragorn and the girls could stand it.

The next day, the fourth, was little better, and the night almost comfortless. Though the Neekerbreekers (as Sam called them) had been left behind, the midges still pursued them; and they were beginning to run out of bug spray.

As Frodo lay, tired but unable to close their eyes, it seemed to him that far away there came a light in the eastern sky: it flashed and faded many times.

"What is that light?" Frodo asked Aragorn, who had risen, and was standing, gazing ahead into the night.

"I do not know." Aragorn answered. "It is too distant to make out. It is like lightening that leaps up from the hill-tops."

Devin, who was also awake, remained silent as she watched the distant light-show, knowing that it was most likely being caused by Gandalf, as he fought the Ringwraiths at Weathertop. She said nothing so as not to worry the others, for she knew Gandalf would be all right. He would make it safely to Rivendell ahead of them. Of course, some might think it would be better if they joined up with wizard sooner, but she wasn't sure what that would do to the story. Deciding when to interfere and when not to was difficult—it was like if you had gone back in time to WWII after Hitler was already born and in power; how would you help the allies without screwing up the timeline? If you told them they would win in the end, would they relax their guard and end up being defeated because they were too overconfident? What if you told them how to pull off the invasion of Normandy too soon, and they ended up losing a crucial battle? It was things like this that made Devin decide to take a leaf out of _Star Trek's_ book and start following the 'Prime Directive' of non-interference. It was true there were some events that seemed to have already gotten off-track somehow, such as Aragorn's unwillingness to fulfill his destiny and become king; and she knew she and Kitty might have to step in and help correct that, but aside from errors of that nature, they should try to keep their nose out of it as much as possible. Especially since they didn't plan on staying for long. They needed to go home; she was really worried about what might happen if Kitty ran out of her medicine…


	4. Chapter 4

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Weathertop<strong>

* * *

><p>They had not gone far on the fifth day when they left the last straggling pools and reed-beds of the marshes behind them. The land before them began steadily to rise again. Away in the distance eastward they could now see a line of hills. The highest of them was at the right of the line and a little separated from the others. It had a conical top, slightly flattened at the summit.<p>

"That is Weathertop." Aragorn informed them. "The Old Road, which we have left far away on our right, runs to the south of it and passes not far from its foot. We might reach it by noon tomorrow, if we go straight towards it. I suppose we had better do so."

"What do you mean?" Frodo asked.

"I mean: when we do get there, it is not certain what we shall find. It is close to the Road." Aragorn said.

"But surely we were hoping to find Gandalf there?" Frodo said.

"Yes; but the hope is faint. If he comes this way at all, he may not pass through Bree, and so he may not know what we are doing. And anyway, unless we arrive almost together, we shall miss one another; it will not be safe for him or for us to wait there long. If the Riders fail to find us in the wilderness, they are likely to make for Weathertop themselves. It commands a wide view all around. Indeed, there are many birds and beasts in this country that could see us, as we stand here, from that hill-top. Not all the birds are to be trusted, and there are other spies more evil than they are." Aragorn explained.

The hobbits looked anxiously at the distant hills. Sam looked up into the pale sky, fearing to see hawks or eagles hovering over them with bright unfriendly eyes.

"You make me feel uncomfortable and lonesome, Strider!" He said.

"Aww." Kitty said, leaning down to give him a hug, making the hobbit blush.

"Just be wary of any black birds. Not everything with wings is an enemy. After all, Gandalf is friends with the eagles, isn't he? It was with their help that he, Bilbo, and Thorin's company were able to escape from a pinch during their adventure." Devin reminded them.

The hobbits took heart at that, knowing what she said to be true after having heard the very same thing from Bilbo on more than one occasion.

"What do you advise us to do?" Frodo asked Aragorn after a moment, getting back to the topic of Weathertop.

"I think," answered Aragorn slowly, as if he was not quite sure, "I think the best thing is go as straight eastward from here as we can, to make for the line of hills, not for Weathertop. There we can strike a path I know that runs at their feet; it will bring us to Weathertop from the north and less openly. Then we shall see what we shall see."

All day they plodded along, until the cold and early evening came down. The land became drier and more barren; but mists and vapors lay behind them on the marshes. A few melancholy birds were piping and wailing, until the round red sun sank slowly into the western shadows; then an empty silence fell. The hobbits thought of the soft light of sunset glancing through the cheerful windows of Bag End far away. And the girls thought of how they used to laze about on the Gladwin family's back porch, watching the light dance and shimmer on the surface of their small duck pond while the ducklings, Spock, Kirk, and McCoy swam and played together. Devin hoped the big neighborhood tomcat wasn't trying to eat them again. She had asked the neighbors to keep an eye on them, but that cat was a sneaky son of a kitten.

At the day's end they came to a stream that wandered down from the hills to lose itself in the stagnant marshland, and they went up along its banks while the light lasted. It was already night when they at last halted and made their camp under some stunted aldertrees by the shores of the stream. Ahead there loomed now against the dusky sky the bleak and treeless backs of the hills. That night they set a watch, and Aragorn, it seemed, did not sleep at all. The moon was waxing, and in the early night-hours a cold grey light lay on the land.

Next morning they set out again soon after sunrise. There was a frost in the air, and the sky was a pale clear blue. The hobbits felt refreshed, as if they had had a night of unbroken sleep. Already they were getting used to much walking on short commons—shorter at any rate than what in the Shire they would have thought barely enough to keep them on their legs. Pippin declared that Frodo was looking twice the hobbit he had been.

"Very odd," said Frodo, "considering there is actually a good deal less of me." This earned a chuckle from Kitty. "I hope the thinning process will not go on indefinitely, or I shall become a wraith."

"Do not speak of such things!" Aragorn scolded him quickly with a surprising earnestness.

The hills drew nearer. They made an undulating ridge, often rising almost to a thousand feet, and here and there falling again to clefts or passes leading into the eastern land beyond. Along the crest on the ridge the hobbits and girls could see what appeared to be the remains of green-brown walls and dikes, and in the clefts there still stood the ruins of old works of stone. By night they had reached the feet of the westward slopes, and there they camped. It was the night of the fifth of October, and they were six days out from Bree.

In the morning they found, for the first time since they had left the Chetwood, a track plain to see. Kitty praised the Lord. They turned and followed it southwards. It ran cunningly, taking a line that seemed chosen so as to keep as much hidden as possible from the view, both of the hilltops above and of the flats to the west. It dived into dells, and hugged steep banks; and where it passed over flatter and more open ground on either side of it there were lines of large boulders and hewn stones that screened travelers almost like a hedge.

"I wonder who made this path and what for." Merry said as they walked along one of these avenues, where the stones were unusually large and closely set. "I'm not sure that I like it: its has a—well, a rather barrow-wightish look. Is there any barrow on Weathertop?"

"No. There is no barrow on Weathertop, nor on any of these hills." Aragorn replied. "The Men of the west did not live here; though in their later days they defended the hills for awhile against the evil that came out of Angmar. This path was made to serve the forts along the walls. But long before, in the first days of the North Kingdom, they built a great watchtower on Weathertop, Amon Sûl they called it. It was burned and broken, and nothing remains of it now but a tumbled ring, like a rough crown on the old hill's head. Yet once it was tall and fair. It is told that Elendil stood there watching for the coming of Gil-galad out of the West, in the days of the Last Alliance." The hobbits gazed at Strider in wonder, but the girls were not surprised by his extensive knowledge of old lore in addition to the ways of the wild. Devin smiled softly as she brushed the tips of her fingers against one of the old stones.

"My mother would have loved this." She said. "She was an archaeologist: someone who specializes in the systematic study of past human life and culture by the recovery and examination of remaining material evidence, such as graves, buildings, tools, and pottery. She was really good at it. She'd bring me back souvenirs sometimes, bits of broken artifacts that weren't worth preserving in a museum, but that she couldn't bear to throw out. She said they were reminders of where we came from and how far we had come; that they were solid memories, moments of long-lost lives preserved in time."

"She must be worried about you," Pippin said, "your mother."

"No." Devin said, smiling sadly. "She isn't. She died soon after I entered high school, when I was thirteen." She let her hand dropped and continued walking on ahead, following the trail. The hobbits and Aragorn stared after. Pippin was sorry he had asked now. He hadn't meant to drag up bad memories. Aragorn stepped forward and silently walked beside the petite girl, saying nothing. He knew what is was like to lose one's mother. He glanced at her, and she glanced back up at him when she felt his stare; and he knew that she knew he understood. She gave him and appreciative smile before focusing her attention back on the path in front of them.

"Don't feel bad, Pippin." Kitty said, patting him on the shoulder as she and the hobbits also began slowly moving forward again. "Devin's tougher than she looks. She knows you didn't mean any harm, and she's not upset. She misses her mom—her dad, too, since both of them are gone now—but she doesn't let it get her down. She says it's better to have loved and lost than never to have been loved at all. When she thinks of her parents, she doesn't think of their deaths; she thinks of their life together and all the good times they had." She explained, flashing them a smile before jogging to catch up with the other two humans. "Devin, I'm tired! carry me?" She teased her short friend as she threw her arms around her from behind, only half joking.

"Ack! Get off, Kitty—you're too heavy!" Devin exclaimed, stumbling under the combined weight of her friend and the bags they were both carrying. Aragorn smiled wryly at their antics but shushed them for being too loud. The hobbits smiled softly as they watched. They really were good friends, weren't they?

—/-|-\—

It was already midday when they drew near the southern end of the path, and saw before them, in the pale clear light of the of the October sun, a grey-green bank, leading up like a bridge on to the northward slope of the hill. They decided to make for the top at once, while the daylight was broad. Concealment was no longer possible, and they could only hope that no enemy or spy was observing them. Nothing was to be seen moving on the hill. If Gandalf was anywhere about, there was no sign of him.

On the western flank of Weathertop they found a sheltered hollow, at the bottom of which was there was a bowl-shaped dell with grassy sides. There they left Sam, Pippin, and Kitty with the pony and their packs and luggage. The other three went on. After half an hour's plodding climb Aragorn reached the crown of the hill; Devin, Frodo, and Merry followed, tired and breathless. The last slope had been steep and rocky.

On the top they found, as Aragorn had said, a wide-ring of ancient stone-work, now crumbling or covered with age-long grass. But in the center a cairn of broken stones had been piled. They were blackened as if with fire. About them the turf was burned to the roots and all within the ring the grass was scorched and shriveled, as if flames had swept the hill-top; but there was no sign of anything living. Standing upon the rim of the ruined circle they saw all round below them a wide prospect, for the most part of lands empty and featureless, except for patches of woodland away to the south, beyond which they caught here and there the glint of distant water. Beneath them on this southern side there ran like a ribbon the Old Road, coming out of the West and winding down, until it faded behind a ridge of dark land to the east. Nothing was moving on it. Following its line eastward with their eyes, they saw the Mountains: the nearer foothills were brown and somber; behind them stood taller shapes of grey, and behind those again were high white peaks glimmering among the clouds.

"Well, here we are!" Merry said. "And very cheerless and uninviting it looks! There is no water and no shelter. And no sign of Gandalf. But I don't blame him not waiting—if he ever came here."

"I wonder." Aragorn said thoughtfully, looking around, while Devin moved closer to examine the cairn. "Even if he was a day or two behind us at Bree, he could have arrived here first. He can ride very swiftly when need presses."

"Hey, y'all." Devin called out, waving the ranger and two hobbits over. "What do you think of this?" She asked, holding out the stone from the top of the cairn. It was flatter than the others, and whiter, as if it had escaped the fire. Aragorn picked it up and examined it, turning it in his fingers.

"This has been handled recently." He said. "What do you think of these marks?" On the flat under-side Frodo saw some scratches: |" |||.

"There seems to be a stroke, a dot, and three more strokes." He remarked.

"The stroke on the left might be a G-rune with thin branches." Aragorn said. "It might be a sign left by Gandalf, though one cannot be sure. The scratches are fine, and they certainly look fresh. But the marks might mean something quite different, and have nothing to do with us. Rangers use runes, and they come here sometimes."

"What could they mean, if Gandalf made them?" Merry asked.

"I would say that they stood for G 3, and are a sign that Gandalf was here on October the 3rd, three days ago." Devi said.

"I agree." Aragorn said. "It would also show that he was in a hurry and dangers was at hand, so that he had no time or did not dare to write anything longer or plainer. If that is so, we must be wary."

"I wish we could feel sure that he made the marks, whatever they may mean." Frodo said. "It would be a great comfort to know that he was on the way, in front of or behind us." Devin glanced sympathetically at him and paced a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure he is." She said. "I'd bet he's on his way to Rivendell as we speak."

"Perhaps." Said Aragorn. "For myself, I believe that he was here, and was in danger. There have been scorching flames here; and now the light that we saw three nights ago in the eastern sky comes back to mind. I guess that he was attacked on this hill-top, but with what result I cannot tell. He is here no longer, and we must now look after ourselves and make our own way to Rivendell, as best we can."

"How far is Rivendell?" Merry asked, gazing around wearily. The world looked wild and wide from Weathertop.

"I don't know if the Road has ever been measured in miles beyond the _Forsaken Inn_, a day's journey east of Bree." Aragorn answered. "Some say it is so far, and some say otherwise. It is a strange road, and folk are glad to reach their journey's end, whether the time is long or short. But I know how long it would take me on my own feet, with fair weather and no ill fortune; twelve days from here to the Ford of Bruinen, where the Road crosses the Loudwater that runs out of Rivendell. We have at least a fortnight's journey before us, for I do not think we shall be able to use the Road."

"A fortnight!" said Frodo. "A lot may happen in that time." That would be two weeks.

"It may." Aragorn agreed.

'It _will_.' Devin thought, biting her lip. She wished she could warn Frodo of what was coming, but again, she wasn't sure what would happen if she did. The only comfort was that she could at least be sure that he would survive.

They stood silent for awhile on the hill-top, near its southward edge. As Devin stared down at the Road, suddenly she felt a vague sense of dread and became aware that two black specks were moving slowly along it, heading westward; and looking again, saw that three others were creeping eastward to meet them. She gasped and immediately ducked down low to the ground.

"Look!" She whispered urgently to the others, pointing downward. At once Aragorn flung himself on the ground beside her behind the ruined circle, pulling Frodo and Merry down with him.

"What is it?" Merry whispered.

"I do not know, but I fear the worst." Aragorn replied lowly. Slowly they crawled up to the edge of the ring again, and peered through a cleft between two jagged stones. The light was no longer bright, for the clear morning had faded, and clouds creeping out of the East had now overtaken the sun, as it began to go down. They could see all the black specks, but neither Devin, Frodo, nor Merry could make out their shapes for certain; yet something told them that there, far below, were Black Riders assembling on the Road beyond the foot of the hill.

"Yes." Said Aragorn, whose keener sight left him no doubt. "The enemy is here!" Hastily they crept away and slipped down the northern side of the hill to find their companions.

Sam, Pippin, and Kitty had not been idle. They had explored the small dell and the surrounding slopes. Not far away they found a spring of clear water in the hillside, and near it they found the footprints not more than a day or two old. In the dell itself they found recent traces of a fire, and other signs of a hasty camp. There were some fallen rocks on the edge of the dell nearest to the hill. Behind them, Sam came upon a small store of neatly stacked firewood.

"I wonder if old Gandalf has been here." He said to Pippin and Kitty. "Whoever it was that put this stuff here meant to come back it seems."

Aragorn was greatly interested in these discoveries.

"I wish I had waited and explored the ground down here myself." He said, hurrying off to the spring to examine the footprints. "It is just as I feared." Aragorn said, when he returned. "The three of them have trampled the soft ground, and the marks are spoilt and confused." 'Oops, my bad.' Kitty mouthed quietly as he continued. "Rangers have been here lately. It is they who left the firewood behind. But there are also several newer tracks that were not made by Rangers. At least one set was made, only a day or two ago, by heavy boots. At least one. I cannot now be certain, but I think there were many booted feet." He paused and stood in anxious thought. Devin and Kitty exchanged a knowing and troubled look. _That _scene was coming.

Each of the hobbits saw in his mind a vision of the cloaked and booted Riders. If the horsemen had already found the dell, the sooner Strider led them somewhere else the better. Sam viewed the hollow with great dislike, now that he had heard news of their enemies on the Road, only a few miles away.

"Hadn't we better clear out quick, Mr. Strider?" he asked impatiently. "It's getting late, and I don't like this hole: it makes my heart sink somehow."

"Yes, we certainly must decide what to do at once." Answered Aragorn, looking up and considering the time and the weather. "Well, Sam," he said at last, "I do not like this place either; but I cannot think of anywhere better that we could reach by nightfall. At least we are out of sight for the moment, and if we moved we should be much more likely to be seen by spies. All we could do would be to go right out of our way back north on this side of the line of hills, where the lad is much the same as it is here. The Road is watched, but we should have to cross it, if we tried to take cover in the thickets away to the south. On the north side of the Road beyond the hills the country is bare and flat for miles."

"Is there no escape then?" asked Frodo, looking around wildly. "If I move I shall be seen and hunted! If I stay, I shall draw them to me!"

"Just chill, dude." Kitty said carelessly, digging though Devin's backpack. "Here, you can have a piece of our last Snickers."

"There is still hope." Aragorn said, laying a hand on the distressed hobbit's shoulder. "You are not alone. Let us take this wood that is set ready for the fire as a sign. There is little shelter or defense here, but the fire shall serve for both. Sauron can put fire to his evil uses, as he can all things, but these Riders do not love it, and fear those who wield it. Fire is our friend in the wilderness."

"Maybe." Muttered Sam. "It's also as good a way of saying 'here we are' as I can think of, bar shouting."

"But if they find us, and we don't have a fire already going, we may not even live long enough to regret it." Devin said grimly.

* * *

><p>Please review... it makes me feel good. And here's a bunny for everyone still reading:<p>

() ()  
>(ˆvˆ)<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: A Knife in the Dark<strong>

* * *

><p>Down in the lowest and most sheltered corner of the dell they lit a fire, and prepared a meal. The shades of evening began to fall, and it grew cold. They were suddenly aware of great hunger, for had not eaten anything since breakfast save for the Snickers bar, which they had divided up amongst themselves; but they dared not make more than a frugal supper. The lands ahead were empty of all save birds and beasts, unfriendly places deserted by all the races of the world. Rangers passed at times beyond the hills, but they were few and did not stray other wanderers were rare, and of an evil sort: trolls might stray down times out of the northern valleys of the Misty Mountains. Only on the Road would travelers be found, most often dwarves, hurrying along on business of their own, and with no help and few words to spare for strangers.<p>

"I don't see how our food can be made to last." Said Frodo. "We have been careful enough in the last few days, and this supper is no feast; but we have used more than we ought, if we have two weeks still to go, and perhaps more."

"There is food in the world," Aragorn said; "berry, root, and herb; and I have some skill as a hunter at need. You need not be afraid of starving before winter comes. But gathering and catching food is long and weary work, and we need haste. So tighten your belts, and think with hope of the tables of Elrond's house!"

"There'd better be a _big_ feast waiting for us." Kitty mumbled dejectedly, rubbing her empty stomach. "At least now we know a sure way of losing weight, I guess." Not that they really needed to lose any in the first place.

The cold increased as darkness came on. Peering out from the edge of the dell they could see nothing but a grey land now vanishing quickly into shadow. The sky above had cleared again and was slowly filled with twinkling stars. The girls and the hobbits were huddled together around the fire, wrapped in every garment and blanket they possessed; but Aragorn was content with a single cloak, and sat a little apart, drawing thoughtfully at his pipe. As night fell and the light of the fire began to shine out brightly he began to tell them tales to keep their minds from the cold and fear. He knew many histories and legends of long ago, of Elves and Men and the good and evil deeds of the Elder Days. It was a nice refresher course for the girls. The hobbits wondered how old he was, and where he had learned all this lore.

"Tell us of Gil-galad." Merry said suddenly, when Aragorn paused at the end of a story of the Elf-Kingdoms. "Do you know anymore of that old lay you spoke of?"

"I do indeed." Aragorn answered. "So also does Frodo, for it concerns us closely." Merry and Pippin looked at Frodo, who was staring into the fire.

"I only know the little that Gandalf has told me." Frodo began slowly. "Gil-galad was the last of the great Elf-Kings of Middle Earth. Gil-galad is _starlight_ in their tongue. With Elendil, the Elf-friend, he went to the land of—"

"No!" Aragorn said, interrupting. "I do not think that tale should be told now with the servants of the Enemy at hand. If we win through to the house of Elrond, you may hear it there, told in full."

"Then tell us some other tale of the old days," begged Sam; "a tale about the Elves before the fading time. I would dearly like to hear more about Elves; the dark seems to press round so close."

"I will tell you the tale of Tinúviel," Aragon said, "in brief—for it is a long tale of which the end is not known; and there are none now, except Elrond, that remember it aright as it was told of old. It is a fair tale, though it is sad, as are all tales of Middle-earth, and yet it may lift up your hearts." He was silent for some time, and then he began not to speak but to chant softly:

_The leaves were long, the grass was green,_  
><em>The hemlock-umbels tall and fair,<br>And in the glade a light was seen  
>Of stars in shadow shimmering.<br>Tinúviel was dancing there  
>To music of a pipe unseen,<br>And light of stars was in her hair,  
>And in her raiment glimmering.<em>

Kitty and Devin began to relax, lulled by the soothing rhythm of his deep voice. It was like they were children again, safe and warm and listening to Devin's father telling them a story.

_There Beren came from mountains cold,_  
><em>And lost he wandered under leaves,<em>  
><em>And where the Elven-river rolled<em>  
><em>He walked alone and sorrowing.<em>  
><em>He peered between the hemlock-leaves<em>  
><em>And saw in wonder flowers of gold<em>  
><em>Upon her mantle and her sleeves,<em>  
><em>And her hair like shadow following.<em>

_Enchantment healed his weary feet_  
><em>That over hills were doomed to roam;<em>  
><em>And forth he hastened, strong and fleet,<em>  
><em>And grasped at moonbeams glistening.<em>  
><em>Through woven woods in Elvenhome<em>  
><em>She lightly fled on dancing feet,<em>  
><em>And left him lonely still to roam<em>  
><em>In the silent forest listening.<em>

_He heard there oft the flying sound_  
><em>Of feet as light as linden-leaves,<em>  
><em>Or music welling underground,<em>  
><em>In hidden hollows quavering.<em>  
><em>Now withered lay the hemlock-sheaves,<em>  
><em>And one by one with sighing sound<em>  
><em>Whispering fell the beachen leaves<em>  
><em>In the wintry woodland wavering.<em>

_He sought her ever, wandering far_  
><em>Where leaves of years were thickly strewn,<em>  
><em>By light of moon and ray of star<em>  
><em>In frosty heavens shivering.<em>  
><em>Her mantle glinted in the moon,<em>  
><em>As on a hill-top high and far<em>  
><em>She danced, and at her feet was strewn<em>  
><em>A mist of silver quivering.<em>

Kitty felt her eyes grow heavy, but Devin nudged her to keep her awake. It was dangerous (not to mention rude) to sleep when they knew what was coming.

_When winter passed, she came again,_  
><em>And her song released the sudden spring,<em>  
><em>Like rising lark, and falling rain,<em>  
><em>And melting water bubbling.<em>  
><em>He saw the elven-flowers spring<em>  
><em>About her feet, and healed again<em>  
><em>He longed by her to dance and sing<em>  
><em>Upon the grass untroubling.<em>

_Again she fled, but swift he came._  
><em>Tinúviel! Tinúviel!<em>  
><em>He called her by her elvish name;<em>  
><em>And there she halted listening.<em>  
><em>One moment stood she, and a spell<em>  
><em>His voice laid on her: Beren came,<em>  
><em>And doom fell on Tinúviel<em>  
><em>That in his arms lay glistening.<em>

_As Beren looked into her eyes_  
><em>Within the shadows of her hair,<em>  
><em>The trembling starlight of the skies<em>  
><em>He saw there mirrored shimmering.<em>  
><em>Tinúviel the elven-fair,<em>  
><em>Immortal maiden elven-wise,<em>  
><em>About him cast her shadowy hair<em>  
><em>And arms like silver glimmering.<em>

_Long was the way that fate them bore,  
>O'er stony mountains cold and grey,<br>Through halls of ireon and darkling door,  
>And woods of nightshade morrowless.<br>The Sundering Seas between them lay,  
>And yet at last they met once more,<br>And long ago they passed away  
>In the forest singing sorrowless.<em>

Aragorn sighed and paused before he spoke again and began to explain the verses he had just recited for them. "That is a song," he said, "in the mode that is called _ann-thennath_ among the Elves, but is hard to render in our Common Speech, and this is but a rough echo of it. It tells of the meeting of Beren son of Barahir and Lúthien Tinúviel. Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was the daughter of Thingol, a King of Elves upon Middle Earth when the world was young; and she was the fairest maiden that has ever been among all the children of this world. As the stars above the mists or the Northern lands was her lovliness, and in her face was a shining light. In those days the Great Enemy, of whom Sauron of Mordor was but a servant, dwelt in Angband in the North, and the Elves of the West coming back to Middle Earth made war upon him to regain the Silmarils which he had stolen; and the fathers of Men aided the Elves. But the enemy was victorious and Barahir was slain, and Beren escaping through great peril came over the Mountains of Terror into the hidden Kingdom of Thingol in the forest of Neldoreth. There he beheld Lúthien singing and dancing in a glade beside the enchanted river Esgalduin; and he named her Tinúviel, that is Nightingale in the language of old. Many sorrows befell them afterwards, and they were parted long. Tinúviel rescued Beren from the dungeons of Sauron, and together, and together they passed through great dangers and cast down even the Great Enemy from his throne, and took one of the three Silmarils, brightest of all jewel, to be the bride-piece of Lúthien to Thingol her father. Yet at the last Beren was slain by the Wolf that came from the gates of Angband, and he died in the arms of Tinúviel. But she chose mortality, and to die from the world, so that she might follow him; and it is sung that they met again beyond the Sundering Seas, and after a brief time walking alive once more in the green woods, together they passed, long ago, beyond the confines of this world. So it is that Lúthien Tinúviel alone of the Elf-kindred has died indeed and left the world, and they have lost her whom they most loved. But from her the lineage of the Elf-lords of old descended among Men. There live still those of whom Lúthien was the foremother, and it is said that her line shall never fail. Elrond of Rivendell is of that Kin. For of Beren and Lúthien was born Dior Thingol's heir; and of him Elwing the White whom Eärendil wedded, he that sailed his ship out of the world into the seas of heaven with the Silmaril upon his brow. And of Eärendil came the Kings of Númenor, that is Westernesse."

As Aragorn was speaking, they watched his strange eager face, dimly lit in the red glow of the fire. Above him was a black starry sky. Devin smiled slightly to herself as she stared up at it, knowing Aragorn was most likely thinking of Arwen, whom they said was the reappearance in likeness of Tinúviel because of her beauty. The waxing moon was climbing slowly above the hill that overshadowed them, and the stars above the hill-top faded. With the story ended, the hobbits and the girls moved and stretched.

"Cool story, bro." Kitty said, yawning. She was feeling sleepy and tired after another long day of walking and hiking.

"Look!" Merry said. "The moon is rising: it must be getting late." The others looked up as well. Even as they did so, they saw on the top of the hill something small and dark against the glimmer of the moonrise. It was perhaps only a large stone or jutting rock shown up by the pale light.

Sam and Merry got up and walked away from the fire. Kitty decided to follow them, hoping a brief stroll might help keep her awake and more alert.

"Don't go too far!" Devin cautioned them, furrowing her brow with concern. Frodo and Pippin glanced at her but remained seated in Silence. Aragorn was watching the moonlight on the hill intently. All seemed quiet and still, but Frodo felt a cold dread creeping over his heart, now that Strider was no longer speaking. He huddled closer to the fire. At that moment Sam, Merry, and Kitty came running back from the edge of the dell, looking spooked.

"I don't know what it is," Sam said, "but I suddenly felt afraid. I daren't go outside this dell for any money; I felt something was creeping up the slope."

"Did you _see_ anything?" Frodo asked, springing to his feet.

"No, sir. I saw nothing, but I didn't stop to look." Sam replied.

"I saw something," Merry said; "or I thought I did—away westwards where the moonlight was falling on the flats beyond the shadow of the hill-tops, I _thought_ there were two or three black shapes. They seemed to be moving this way."

"I saw them, too." Kitty added. "It felt like being in the presence of dementors or something. I need chocolate." She shuddered, wishing they still had some left.

"It's the Riders." Devin said, setting her jaw in a line of grim determination, preparing herself for what was to come.

"Keep close to the fire, with your faces outward!" Aragorn urgently instructed them. "Get some of the longer sticks ready in your hands!" He told the unarmed girls as the hobbits drew the long daggers they had received from Tom Bombadil.

For a breathless time they sat there, silent and alert, with their backs turned to the fire, each gazing into the shadows that encircled them. Nothing happened. There was no sound or movement in the night. Frodo stirred, feeling that he must break the silence: he longed to shout out loud.

"Hush!" whispered Aragorn.

"What's that?" gasped Pippin at the same moment.

Over the lip of the little dell, on the side away from the hill, they felt, rather than saw, a shadow rise, one shadow or more than one. It was difficult to tell. They strained their eyes, and the shadows seemed to grow. Soon there could be no doubt: three or four tall black figures were standing there on the slope, looking down on them. So black were they that they seemed like black holes in the deep shade behind them. Devin thought she heard a faint hiss as of venomous breath and felt a thin piercing chill. Then the shapes slowly advanced.

Kitty freaked out and threw the stick in her hands at them before turning to rummage around in their backpack, searching frantically for the taser. Devin kept her stick in hand, while scooting back to join her in searching for a better weapon. Terror overcame Pippin and Merry, and they threw themselves flat on the ground. Sam shrank to Frodo's side. Frodo was hardly less terrified than his companions; he was quaking as if he was bitter cold, but his terror was swallowed up in a sudden temptation to put on the Ring. The desire to do this laid hold of him, and he could think of nothing else. He did not forget the Barrow, nor the message of Gandalf; but something seemed to be compelling him to disregard all warnings, and he longed to yield. Not with the hope of escape, or of doing anything, either good or bad: he simply felt he must take the ring and put it on his finger. He could not speak. He felt Sam looking at him, as if he knew that his master was in some great trouble, but he could not turn towards him. He shut his eyes and struggled for awhile; resistance became unbearable, and at last he slowly drew out the Ring and slipped it on the forefinger of his left hand.

"!" Sam gasped and jumped back, startled when Frodo suddenly vanished right next to him. Aragorn cursed under his breath and he rushed to light the torches he had been wrapping, while Devin gave up on the taser, grabbed the can of hairspray, and shoved her hand in her pocket to retrieve her father's old lighter.

_"O Elebereth! Gilthoniel!"_ They heard Frodo's voice cry out just before the foremost Rider let out a shrill cry that rang throughout the night, and stabbed at something before its feet; just as Devin leaped out holding the lighter out in front of her, flipping it open and igniting it as she thrust the hairspray forward and sprayed, torching the Rider with her impromptu flame-thrower. The Rider shrieked as its black robes caught fire and reeled back, flailing its arms as it dropped its sword. Aragorn immediately jumped out to join her with a flaming brand of wood in each hand to help ward off the others. Kitty ran forward and managed to shoot one with the taser, which surprisingly, actually appeared to have some affect on it, as it let out a shriek before retreating with the others. Kitty and Devin breathed heavily, panting, as they watched the retreating Riders with Aragorn, making sure they made a full retreat, before turning back to the others.

Frodo must have managed to slip the ring back off of his finger before he passed out, because he was fully visible again, and Sam, Merry, and Pippin were gathered round him, trying to wake him, deeply concerned.

"Move back. Give him space." Devin told them as she, Kitty, and Aragorn hurried over to check on him. "Strider, we need you! Frodo is still in danger!" Devin called out to him before he could leave to search the surrounding area and make sure the Riders were really gone and not waiting to ambush them again. Aragorn came rushing over and kneeled beside Frodo to examine his wound, becoming full of concern when he saw the extent of damage.

"Help him, strider!" Sam cried.

"He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade." Aragorn said picking up Rider's discarded sword, looking deeply troubled, as the blade disintegrated before their eyes. He threw the accursed hilt down to the ground, frustrated that he had not been able to prevent this. "Move him closer to the fire. Keep the fire going well, and keep Frodo warm!" He instructed them. "I think I understand things better now." He said in a low voice. "Why they are not all here, I don't know; but I don't think they expected to be resisted. They have drawn back for the time being, but not far, I fear. They will come again another night, if we cannot escape. They are only waiting, because they think that their purpose is almost accomplished, and that the Ring cannot fly much further. I fear, Sam, that they believe your master has a deadly wound that will subdue him to their will."

Sam choked with tears.

"Don't despair!" Aragorn said. "You must trust me now. Your Frodo is made of sterner stuff than I had guessed, though Gandalf hinted that it might prove so. He is not slain, and I think he will resist the evil power of the wound longer than his enemies will expect. I will do all I can to help and heal him. Few now have the skill in healing to match such evil weapons, but I will do what I can."

"Will this help?" Devin asked, pulling out a plastic sandwich baggy stuffed full of _athelas_.

"Yes." Aragorn said eagerly, staring at her in wonder. "How did you come by this?"

"Sam was pointing out some plants he knew to me further back on the Road, and he said this was kingsfoil. I remembered hearing before that that was another name for the _athelas_ plant, so I picked it thinking it might come in handy." Devin explained quickly.

"It would seem your foresight is better than mine." Aragorn told her, accepting the bag gratefully. "You have just saved Frodo's life. Quickly, boil some water!"

"On it, boss!" Kitty said as she scrambled to get a pot and fill it with water while Merry and Pippin built up the fire some more.

"But that's a weed!" Sam cried. How could a weed save him?

Aragorn set aside the herbs for a moment and laid what was left of the Morgul blade on top of his knees. He sang over it a slow song in a strange tongue. Then setting it aside, he turned to Frodo and in a soft tone spoke words the others could not catch. From the plastic bag, he drew out the long leaves of the _athelas_, and crushed one in his fingers. It gave out a sweet and pungent fragrance. "This is not just a weed, Sam, for it is a healing plant that the Men of the West brought to Middle Earth; and it is not known in the North, except to some of those who wander in the Wild." He glanced sideways at Devin. "It has great virtues, but over such a wound as this its healing powers will be small."

"But it will be enough." Devin said with certainty. "Just do what you can for him until we can get him to Elrond."

Aragorn threw the leaves into the pot of boiling water and bathed Frodo's shoulder. The fragrance of the steam was refreshing, and those that were unhurt felt their minds calmed and cleared. Now that they had a chance to collect themselves and get their wits about them again, they began to discuss what they should do next considering the severity of Frodo's wound, and how they would now manage to continue their journey.

"I think now," Aragorn said once he had finished tending to Frodo's wound. "That the enemy has been watching this place for some days. If Gandalf ever came here, then he must have been forced to ride away, and he will not return. In any case, we are in great peril here after dark, and we can hardly meet greater danger wherever we go."

As soon as the daylight was full, they had some hurried food and packed. It was impossible for Frodo to walk, so they divided the greater part of the baggage amongst the six of them, and put Frodo on the pony. In the last few days the poor beast had improved wonderfully; it already seemed fatter and stronger, and had begun to show an affection for its new masters, especially Sam and Kitty. Bill Ferny's treatment must have been very hard for the journey in the wild to seem so much better than its former life. They started off in a southerly direction. This would mean crossing the Road, but it was the quickest way to more wooded country. And they needed fuel; for Aragorn said that Frodo must be kept warm, especially at night, while the fire would be some protection for them all. It was also his plan to shorten their journey by cutting across another great loop of the Road: east beyond Weathertop it changed its course and took a wide bend northwards.

They made their way slowly and cautiously round the southwestern slopes of the hill, and came in a little while to the edge of the Road. There was no sign of the Riders. But even as they were hurrying across they heard far away two cries: a cold voice calling and a cold voice answering. Trembling they sprang forward, and made for the thickets that lay ahead. The land before them sloped away southwards, but it was wild and pathless; bushes and stunted trees grew in dense patches with wide barren spaces in between. The grass was scanty, coarse, and grey; and the leaves in the thicket were faded and falling. It was a cheerless land, and their journey was slow and gloomy. They spoke little as they trudged along.

Frodo's heart was grieved as watched them walking beside him with their heads down, and their backs bowed under their burdens. Even Aragorn seemed tired and heavy-hearted. Before the first day's march was over, Frodo's pain began to grow again, but he did not speak of it for a long time.

Four days passed, without the ground or the scene changing much, except that behind them Weathertop slowly sank, and before them the distant mountains loomed a little nearer. Yet since that far cry they had seen and heard no sign that the enemy had marked their flight or followed them. They dreaded the dark hours, and kept watch in pairs by night, expecting at any time to see black shapes stalking in the grey night, dimly lit by the cloud-veiled moon; but they saw nothing and heard no sound but the sigh of withered leaves and grass. Not once did they feel the sense of present evil that had assailed them before the attack in the dell. It seemed too much to hope that the Riders had already lost their trail again. Perhaps they were waiting to make some ambush in a narrow place?


	6. Chapter 6

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: The Bridge and the Trolls<br>**

* * *

><p>At the end of the fifth day the ground began once more to rise slowly out of the wide shallow valley into which they had descended. Aragorn now turned their course again north-eastwards, and on the sixth day they reached the top of a long slow-climbing slope, and saw far ahead a huddle of wooded hills. Away below them they could see the Road sweeping round the feet of the hills; and to their right a grey river gleamed pale in the thin sunshine. In the distance they glimpsed yet another river in a stony valley half-veiled in mist.<p>

"I am afraid we must go back to the Road here for awhile." Said Aragorn. "We have now come to the River Hoarwell, that the Elves call Mitheithel. It flows down out of the Ettenmoors, the troll-fells north of Rvendell, and joins the Loudwater away in the South. Some call it the Grey-flood after that. It is a great water before it finds the sea. There is no way over it below its sources in the Ettenmoors, except by the Last Bridge on which the Road crosses."

"What is that other river we can see far away there?" Merry asked.

"That is Loudwater, the Bruinen of Rivendell." Aragorn replied. "The Road runs along the edge of the hills for many miles from the Bridge to the Ford of Bruinen. But I have not yet thought how we shall cross the water. One river at a time! We shall be fortunate indeed if we do not find the Last Bridge held against us."

Next day, early in the morning, they came down again to the borders of the Road. Sam and Aragorn went forward, but they found no sign of any travellers or riders. Here under the shadow of the hills there had been some rain. Aragorn judged that it had fallen two days before, and had washed away all footprints. No horseman had passed since then, as far as he could see. They hurried along with all the speed they could make, and after a mile or two they saw the Last Bridge ahead, at the bottom of a short steep slope. They dreaded to see black figures waiting there, but saw none. Aragorn made them all take cover in a thicket at the side of the Road, while he went forward to explore. Before long he came hurrying back.

"I can see no sign of the enemy," he said, "and I wonder very much what that means. But I have found something very strange." He held out his hand, and showed a single pale-green jewel. "I found it in the mud in the middle of the bridge. It is a beryl, an elf-stone." Devin and Kitty glanced at each other, eyes widening slightly. "Whether it was set there, or let fall by chance, I cannot say; but it brings hope to me. I will take it as a sign that we may pass the Bridge; beyond that I dare not keep to the Road, without some clearer token."

At once they went out again, in pairs, to make sure they could pass as quickly and quietly as possible. Naturally Sam went first, leading Frodo on the pony, followed by Merry and Pippin.

"Hey, Devin." Kitty whispered as they waited their turn for Aragorn to wave them across. "That light-green crystal you always wear around your neck… didn't you say before that it was some kind of beryl, too?"

"Yeah." Devin replied, nodding, as they quickly and carefully scampered across the open road and made for the bridge. "At least that's what my mom said when she gave it to me. She found it near the site of one of her last digs."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Kitty asked.

"That it's actually an elf-stone that somehow fell through a crack between our two universes, and it's probably the reason why we ended up here after falling into a river that runs through one of the few primordial forests still left in one of the oldest parts of the world?" Devin asked.

"See, this is why we're friends." Kitty said, grinning.

They crossed the Bridge in safety, hearing no sound but the water swirling against its three great arches. A mile further on they came to a narrow ravine that led away northwards through the steep lands on the left of the Road. Here Aragorn turned aside, and soon they were lost in a somber country of dark trees winding among the feet of sullen hills. The hobbits were glad to leave the cheerless lands and the perilous Road behind them; but this new country seemed threatening and unfriendly. As they went forward the hills about them steadily rose. Here and there upon heights and ridges they caught glimpses of ancient walls of stone, and the ruins of towers: they had an ominous look. Because he was not walking Frodo had time to gaze ahead and to think. He recalled Bilbo's account of his journey and the threatening towers on the hills north of the Road, in the country near the Troll's wood where his first serious adventure had happened. Frodo guessed that they were now in the same region, and wondered if by chance they would pass near the spot.

"Who lives in this land?" he asked. "And who built these towers? Is this troll-country?"

"No!" Aragorn said. "Trolls do not build. No one lives in this land. Men once dwelt here, ages ago; but none remain now. They became an evil people, as legends tell, for they fell under the shadow of Angmar. But all were destroyed in the war that brought the North Kingdom to its end. But that is now so long ago that the hills have forgotten them, though a shadow still lies on the land."

'And the Witch-king of Angmar still survives as the leader of the Nazgûl.' Devin thought.

"Where did you learn such tales, if all the land is empty and forgetful?" Pippin asked. "The birds and beasts do not tell tales of that sort."

"The heirs of Elendil do not forget all things past," said Aragorn; "and many more things than I can tell are remembered in Rivendell."

"Have you often been to Rivendell?" Frodo asked.

"I have." Aragorn said. "I dwelt there once, and I still return when I may. There my heart is; but it is not my fate to sit in peace, even in the fair house of Elrond."

The hills now began to shut them in. The Road behind held on its way to the River Bruinen, but both were now hidden from view. The travelers came into a long valley; narrow, deeply cloven, dark and silent. Trees with old and twisted roots hung over cliffs, and piled up behind into mounting slopes of pine-wood.  
>The hobbits grew very weary. They advanced slowly, for they had to pick their way through a pathless country, encumbered by fallen trees and tumbled rocks. As long as they could they avoided climbing for Frodo's sake, because it was in fact difficult to find any way up out of the narrow dales.<p>

They had been two days in this country when the weather turned wet. The wind began to blow steadily out of the West and pour the water of the distant seas on the dark heads of the hills in fine drenching rain. By nightfall they were all soaked, and their camp was cheerless, for they could not get any fire to burn. The next day the hills rose still higher and steeper before them, and they were forced to turn away northwards out of their course. Aragorn seemed to be getting anxious: they were nearly ten days out from Weathertop, and their stock of provisions was beginning to run low. It went on raining.  
>That night they camped on a stony shelf with a rock wall behind them, in which there was a shallow cave, a mere scoop in the cliff. Frodo was restless. The cold and wet made his wound more painful than ever, and the ache and sense of deadly chill took away all sleep. He lay tossing and turning and listening fearfully to the stealthy night-noises: wind in chinks of rock, water dripping, a crack, the sudden rattling fall of a loosened stone. He felt that black shapes were advancing to smother him; but when he sat up he saw nothing but the back of Aragorn sitting hunched up, smoking his pipe, and watching. He lay down again and passed into an uneasy dream.<p>

In the morning they woke to find that the rain had stopped. The clouds were still thick, but they were breaking, and pale strips of blue appeared between them. The wind was shifting again. They did not start early. Immediately after their cold and comfortless breakfast Aragorn went off alone, telling the others to remain under the shelter of the cliff, until he came back. He was going to climb up, if he could, and get a look at the lie of the land.  
>When he returned he was not reassuring.<p>

"We have come up too far to the north," he said, "and we must find some way to turn back southwards again. If we keep on as we are we shall get up into the Ettendales far north of Rivendell. That is troll-country, and little known to me. We could perhaps find our way through and come round to Rivendell from the north; but it would take too long, for I do not know the way, and our food would not last. So somehow or other we must find the Ford of Bruinen."

The rest of that day they spent scrambling over rocky ground. They found a passage between two hills that led them into a valley running south-east, the direction that they wished to take; but towards the end of the day they found their road again barred by a ridge of high land; its dark edge against the sky was broken into many bare points like teeth of a blunted saw. They had a choice between going back or climbing over it.  
>They decided to attempt the climb, but it proved very difficult. Before long Frodo was obliged to dismount and struggle along on foot. Even so they often despaired of getting their pony up, or indeed of finding a path for themselves, burdened as they were. The light was nearly gone, and they were all exhausted, when at last they reached the top. They had climbed on to a narrow saddle between two higher points, and the land fell steeply away again, only a short distance ahead. Frodo threw himself down, and lay on the ground shivering. His left arm was lifeless, and his side and shoulder felt as if icy claws were laid upon them. The trees and rocks about him seemed shadowy and dim.<p>

"We can't go any further." Merry said to Aragorn. "I'm afraid this has been too much for Frodo. I'm dreadfully anxious about him. What are we to do? Do you think they will be able to cure him in Rivendell, if we ever get there?"

"We shall see." Answered Aragorn. "There is nothing more that I can do in the wilderness; and it is chiefly because of his wound that I am so anxious to press on. But I agree that we can go no further tonight."

"What's the matter with him?" Sam asked in a low voice, looking appealingly at Aragorn. "His wound was small, and it's already closed. There's nothing to be seen but a cold white mark on his shoulder."

"Frodo has been touched by the weapons of the Enemy," Aragorn said, "and there is some poison or evil at work that is beyond my skill to drive out. But do not give up hope, Sam!"

Night was cold up on that high ridge. They lit a small fire down under the gnarled roots of an old pine, that hung over a shallow pit: it looked as if stone had once been quarried there. They sat huddled together. The wind blew chill through the pass, and they heard the tree-tops lower down moaning and sighing.

"It sounds like a sleeping dinosaur's down there." Devin commented, smiling wryly.

"Hey, yeah; it kind of does." Kitty remarked, also smiling.

"What's a dinosaur?" Pippin asked.

While the girls did their best to explain the concept of giant reptiles roaming the earth without scaring the hobbits too much, poor Frodo drifted off and lay in half a dream, imagining that endless dark dinosaurs with wings were sweeping by above him, and that on the winged-lizards rode pursuers that sought him in all the hollows of the hills.

The morning dawned bright and fair; the air was clean, and the light pale and clear in a rain-washed sky. Their hearts were encouraged, but they longed for the sun to warm their cold stiff limbs, especially the girls, who were used to a much warmer climate. As soon as it was light, Aragorn took Merry with him and went to survey the country from the height to the east of the pass. The sun had arisen and was shining brightly when he returned with more comforting news. They were now going more or less in the right direction. If they went on, down the further side of the ridge, they would have the Mountains on their left. Some way ahead Aragorn had caught a glimpse of the Loudwater again, and he knew that, though it was hidden from view, the Road to the Ford was not far from the River and lay on the side nearest to them.

"We must make for the Road again." He said. "We cannot hope to find a path through these hills. Whatever danger may beset it, the Road is our only way to the Ford."

As soon as they had eaten they set out again. They climbed slowly down the southern side of the ridge; but the way was much easier than expected, for the slope was far less steep on this side, and before long Frodo was able to ride again. Bill Ferny's poor old pony was developing an unexpected talent for picking out a path, and for sparing its rider as many jolts as possible. The spirits of the party rose again. Even Frodo felt better in the morning light, but every now and again a mist seemed to obscure his sight, and he passed his hands over his eyes. Pippin was a little ahead of the others. Suddenly he turned and called to them.

"There's a path down here!" he cried.

When they came up to him, they saw that he had made no mistake: there were clearly the beginnings of a path, that climbed with many windings out if the woods below and faded away on the hill-top behind. In places it was now faint and overgrown, or choked with fallen stones and trees; but at one time it seemed to have been much used. It was a path made by strong arms and heavy feet. Here and there old trees had been cut or broken down, and large rocks cloven or heaved aside to make way.  
>They followed the track for some while, for it offered a much easier way down, but they went cautiously, and their anxiety increased as they came into the dark woods, and the path grew plainer and broader. Suddenly coming out of a belt of fir-trees it ran steeply down a slope, and turned sharply to the left round the corner of a rocky shoulder of the hill. When they came over the corner they looked round and saw that the path ran over a level strip under the face of a low cliff overhung with trees. In the stony wall there was a door hanging crookedly ajar upon one great hinge.<br>Outside the door they all halted. There was a cave or rock chamber, but in the gloom inside nothing could be seen. Aragorn, Kitty, Devin, Sam, and Merry pushing with all their strength managed to open the door a little wider, and the Aragorn and Devin went in. Devin held up her phone, using the screen for light. It wasn't good for much else now. They did not go far, for on the floor lay many old bones, and nothing else was to be seen near the entrance except some great empty jars and broken pots.

"Surely this is a troll-hole, if ever there was one!" Pippin said.

"Come out, you two, and let's get away." Merry added. "Now we know who made the path—and we'd better get off it quick."

"There is no need, I think." Aragorn said as they came back out. "It is certainly a troll-hole, but it seems to have been long forsaken. I don't think we need be afraid. But let us go down warily, and we shall see."

The path went on again from the door, and turning to the right again across the level space plunged down a thick wooded slope. Pippin, not liking to show the others that he was still afraid, went on ahead with Merry. The girls were next followed by Sam and Aragorn, one on each side of Frodo's pony, for the path was now broad enough for four or five hobbits to walk abreast. But they had not gone very far before Pippin came running back, followed by Merry. They both looked terrified.

"There _are_ trolls!" Pippin panted. "Down in the clearing in the woods not far below. We caught sight of them through the tree trunks. They were very large!"

"Is there any other kind?" Kitty asked calmly, raising an eyebrow.

"We will come and look at them." Aragorn said, picking up a stick. Devin and Frodo said nothing, but Sam looked scared.

The sun was now high, and it shone down through the half-stripped branches of the trees, and lit the clearing with bright patches of light. They halted suddenly on the edge and peered through the tree trunks, holding their breath. There stood the trolls: three large trolls. One was stooping, and the other two stood staring at him. Aragorn walked forward unconcernedly.

"Get up, old stone!" he said and broke his stick upon the stooping troll.

Nothing happened. Devin let out a laugh while there was a gasp of astonishment from the hobbits and Kitty.

"Whoa… I think Strider just made a joke!" Kitty said, breaking out into a grin when she realized what was going on; and then even Frodo laughed.

"Well!" he said. "We are forgetting our family history! These must be the very three that were caught by Gandalf, quarreling over how to cook thirteen dwarves and one hobbit."

"I had no idea we were anywhere near the place!" Pippin remarked. He knew the story well. Bilbo and Frodo had told it often; but as a matter of fact he had never more than half believed it. Even now he looked at the stone trolls with suspicion, wondering if some magic might not suddenly bring them back to life again.

"You are forgetting not only your family history, but all you ever knew about trolls." Aragorn said. "It is broad daylight with a bright sun, and yet you come back trying to scare me with a tale of live trolls waiting for us in this glade!"

"In any case you might have noticed that one of them is rocking an old bird's nest behind his ear." Devin added smiling. "Unless he's a fan of the boho-chic look that would be a most unusual ornament for a live troll!"

They all laughed. They were getting used to the girls' strange way of speaking. Frodo felt his spirits reviving: the reminder of Bilbo's first successful adventure was heartening. The sun, too, was warm and comforting, and the mist before his eyes seemed to be lifting a little. They rested for some time in the glade, and took their mid-day meal right under the shadow of the troll's large legs.

"Won't someone give us a bit of a song, while the sun is high?" Merry asked when they had finished. "We haven't had a song or a tale for days."

"Not since Weathertop." Frodo said. The others looked at him. "Don't worry about me!" he added. "I feel much better, but I don't think I could sing. Perhaps Kitty or Devin could dig something out of their memories. We haven't heard any songs or tales from either of you this whole trip, aside from the occasional explanation of the strange devices you've brought with you."

"Yes. Why not sing us a song about your homeland?" Aragorn suggested. Kitty and Devin looked at each other. They had actually been avoiding telling them too much about their world for a reason, but they could tell by the look in Aragorn's eyes that he had figured as much and wasn't about to let them get out of it until they threw him a bone or two.

"Alright." Devin said at last. "But I don't sound any good on my own. Is it okay if Kitty accompanies me her trumpet?" Kitty's eyes lit up at the prospect of finally being able to play something again. She had been suffering some serious withdrawal.

"Very well." Aragorn consented. "But try not to play _too_ loudly."

"Yes!" Kitty cheered, pumping her fist in the air. "So what should we do?" She asked Devin.

"Well, they want to hear about our homeland, so… how about 'America the Beautiful'?" Devin suggested tentatively. That should be nice and comforting with the images of a wholesome countryside without giving too much (other than the geography and name) away.

"Yeah, I think I can swing that." Kitty said, grinning, as she finished setting up her instrument. "Count me in."

Devin held up four fingers and, nodding her head in time, she brought one down after the other. The moment the last finger was down, Kitty blew into her trumpet and let out a soft sweet note, beginning with a short intro before raising the volume and strength of her playing. It was a beautiful song with a warm and reverent tone. Kitty nodded for Devin to join in with her singing. Like silver bells Devin's clear soprano voice gently rang across the glade:

_O beautiful for spacious skies,_  
><em>For amber waves of grain,<em>  
><em>For purple mountain majesties<em>  
><em>Above the fruited plain!<em>  
><em>America! America!<em>  
><em>God shed his grace on thee<em>  
><em>And crown thy good with brotherhood<em>  
><em>From sea to shining sea!<em>

_O beautiful for pilgrim feet_  
><em>Whose stern impassioned stress<em>  
><em>A thoroughfare of freedom beat<em>  
><em>Across the wilderness!<em>  
><em>America! America!<em>  
><em>God mend thine every flaw,<em>  
><em>Confirm thy soul in self-control,<em>  
><em>Thy liberty in law!<em>

_O beautiful for heroes proved_  
><em>In liberating strife.<em>  
><em>Who more than self their country loved<em>  
><em>And mercy more than life!<em>  
><em>America! America!<em>  
><em>May God thy gold refine<em>  
><em>Till all success be nobleness<em>  
><em>And every gain divine!<em>

_O beautiful for patriot dream_  
><em>That sees beyond the years<em>  
><em>Thine alabaster cities gleam<em>  
><em>Undimmed by human tears!<em>  
><em>America! America!<em>  
><em>God shed his grace on thee<em>  
><em>And crown thy good with brotherhood<em>  
><em>From sea to shining sea!<em>

Kitty gasped for air after blowing the last note. She felt a little out of breath after missing practice for so many days in a row. The hobbits stared at them in awe for a moment before applauding their performance.

"That was beautiful." Sam said, amazed. "I've never heard nothing like it before."

"Thanks, I know." Kitty said with a shrug, grinning.

"Wow. Could you at least pretend to be a little humble for once?" Devin asked, smiling wryly.

"No way. That would probably kill me." Kitty said, making a face. They all laughed at that.

"So your country is called America." Aragorn said. "It sounds like a beautiful place."

"It is." Devin said, smiling softly as she remembered home.

"I find it strange that I have never heard of it." He added, more to the point. The girls exchanged a look. Uh-oh. This is what they had been afraid of.

"Well, you certainly won't find it on any maps of Middle Earth…" Devin mumbled, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation.

"Because it's location is secret!" Kitty said abruptly, earning herself a strange look from both Aragorn and Devin.

"Really?" Pippin asked. "Why?"

"Uh, because it's so awesome." Kitty said. Devin had to resist the strong urge to face-palm. "Yeah, see, we don't want all these invaders coming in and taking our stuff."

"I suppose that makes sense…" Merry said, furrowing his brow slightly.

"Yes. It makes _perfect_ sense." Kitty insisted firmly.

"And the real reason is?" Aragorn asked Devin, leaning closer and keeping his voice low so the hobbits wouldn't hear.

"It's nothing sinister," Devin tried to reassure him, "but please believe me when I say: you'd never believe us if we actually told the truth."


	7. Chapter 7

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

><p><strong>Flight to the Ford<strong>

* * *

><p>In the afternoon they went on down the woods. They were probably following the very track that Gandalf, Bilbo, and the dwarves had used many years before. After a few miles they came out on the top of a high bank above the Road. At this point the Road had left the Haarwell far behind the river down in its narrow valley, and now clung close to the feet of the hills, rolling and winding lastward among woods and heather-covered slopes towards the Ford and the Mountains. Not far down the bank Aragorn pointed out a stone in the grass. On it roughly cut and now much weathered could still be seen dwarf-runes and secret marks.<p>

"There!" said Merry. "That must be the stone that marked the place where the trolls' gold was hidden. How much is left of Bilbo's share, I wonder, Frodo?"

Frodo looked at the stone, and wished that Bilbo had brought home no treasure more perilous, nor less easy to part with.

"None at all." He said. "Bilbo gave it all away. He told me he did not feel it was really his, as it came from robbers."

The Road lay quiet under the long shadows of early evening. There was no sign of any other travellers to be seen. As there was now no other possible course for them to take, they climbed down the bank, and turning left went off as fast as they could. Soon a shoulder of the hills cut off the light of the fast westering sun. a cold wind flowed down to meet them from the mountains ahead.  
>They were beginning to look out for a place off the Road, where they could camp for the night, when they heard a sound that brought sudden fear back into their hearts: the noise of hoofs behind them. They looked back, but they could not see far because of the many windings and rollings of the Road. As quickly as they could they scrambled off the beaten way and up into the deep heather and bilberry brushwood on the slopes above, until they came to a small patch of thick-growing hazels. As they peered out from among the bushes, they could see the Road, faint and grey in the failing light, some thirty feet below them. The sound of hoofs drew nearer. They were going fast, with a light <em>clippety-clippety-clip.<em> Then faintly, as if it was blown away from them by the breeze, they seemed to catch a dim ringing, as of small bells tinkling.

"That does not sound like a Black Rider's horse!" said Frodo, listening intently. The other hobbits agreed hopefully that it did not, but they all remained full of suspicion.  
>They had been in fear of pursuit for so long that any sound from behind seemed ominous and unfriendly. But Aragorn and Devin were now leaning forward, stooped to the ground and listening carefully, with a hand to their ears, and a look of joy on their faces.<p>

"It's an elf." Devin said knowingly in a low voice. This had to be the part where they met Glorfindel.

The light faded, and the leaves on the bushes rustled softly. Clearer and nearer now the bells jingled, and _clippety-clippety-clip_ came the quick trotting feet. Suddenly into view below came a white horse, gleaming in the shadows, running swiftly. In the dusk its headstall flickered and flashed, as if it were studded with gems like living stars. The rider's cloak streamed behind her, and her hood was thrown back; her raven hair flowed shimmering in the wind of her speed. To Frodo it appeared that a white light was shining through the form and raiment of the rider, as if through a thin veil.  
>Kitty noticed Devin's brow was furrowed slightly and there was a troubled look on her face. She didn't really remember too much of what was supposed to happen before Rivendell, but obviously some part of the story had changed again.<p>

Aragorn sprang from hiding and dashed down towards the Road, leaping with a cry through the heather, but even before he had moved or called, the beautiful rider had reined her horse and halted, looking up towards the thicket where they stood. When she saw Aragorn, she dismounted and ran to meet him calling out: _Ai na vedui Dúnadan! Mae govannen!_ Her speech and clear ringing voice left no doubt in their hearts: the rider was of the Elven-folk. No others that dwelt in the wide world had voices so fair to hear. But there seemed to be a not of haste or fear in her call, and they saw that she was now speaking quickly and urgently to Aragorn.  
>Soon Aragorn beckoned to them, and the girls and hobbits left the bushes and hurried down to the Road.<p>

"_Mae govannen, Arwen Undómiel."_ Devin greeted the gorgeous she-elf courteously in heavily accented Sindarin. Aragorn raised his eyebrows at her while Arwen tilted her head slightly and glanced between them. Arwen began to ask her something in Sindarin, but Devin had to hold up a hand and stop her. "Sorry, but I'm afraid that was the full extent of my Elvish."

"You know of me?" Arwen asked.

"Your reputation precedes you." Devin replied calmly. It was easy to guess considering her good looks and the look in Aragorn's eyes when he beheld her.

"And who is this?" Kitty asked, feeling a bit left out.

"This is Lady Arwen, daughter of Elrond, lord of Rivendell." Devin explained for Kitty's and the hobbits' benefit.

"Oh. I see." Kitty said as she and the hobbits stared at the radiant she-elf appreciatively. "No wonder she's so ridiculously beautiful."

"Thank you, …?" Arwen said with a somewhat bemused smile.

"Devin and Kitty." Aragorn introduced the girls, gesturing to each in turn. "And this is Frodo."

"Hail, and well met at last." Arwen greeted the ring-bearer. "I was sent from Rivendell to look for you. We feared you were in danger upon the road."

"Then Gandalf has reached Rivendell?" Frodo cried joyfully.

"No. He had not when I departed; but that was nine days ago." Arwen answered.

'Nine days?' Kitty thought. Nine days out here, and she still looked this fabulous? _What was her secret?_

"My father received news that troubled him." Arwen went on to explain. "Some of my kindred, journeying in your land beyond the Baranduin, learned that things were amiss, and sent messages as swiftly as they could. They said that the Nine were abroad, and that you were astray bearing a great burden without guidance, for Gandalf had not returned. There are few even in Rivendell that can ride openly against the Nine; but such as there were, my father sent out north, west, and south. It was thought that you might turn far aside to avoid pursuit, and become lost in the wilderness." Devin furrowed her brow slightly. No offense to Arwen, but where was Glorfindel? Even if she had not read the books, she would have found it very strange that Elrond would rather send his own daughter out on such a dangerous mission instead of a certified elf-warrior. "It was my lot to take the Road, and I came to the Bridge of Mitheithel, and left a token there, nigh on seven days ago. Three of the servants of Sauron were upon the bridge, but they withdrew. I came also upon two others, but they turned away southward. Since then I have searched for your trail. Two days ago I found it, and followed it over the Bridge; and today I marked where you descended from the hills again. But come! There is no time for further news. Since you are here we must risk the peril of the Road and go. There are five behind us, and when they find your trail upon the Road they will ride after us like the wind. And they are not all. Where the other four are, I do not know. I fear that we may find the Ford is already held against us."

While Arwen was speaking the shades of the evening deepened. Frodo felt a great weariness come over him. Ever since the sun began to sink the mist before his eyes had darkened, and he felt that a shadow was coming between him and the faces of his friends. Now pain assailed him, and he felt cold. He swayed, clutching at Sam's arm.

"Mr. Frodo is sick and wounded." Sam said angrily. "He can't go on riding after nightfall. He needs rest."

Arwen caught Frodo as he sank to the ground, and taking him gently in her arms she looked in his face with grave anxiety.  
>Briefly Aragorn told of the attack on their camp under Weathertop, and of the deadly knife. He drew out the hilt, which he had kept, and showed it to her. He did not want her to have to touch the wicked thing. Arwen shuddered slightly, but looked intently at it.<p>

"There are evil things written on this hilt," she said; "though perhaps your eyes cannot see them. Keep it, Aragorn, till we reach the house of Elrond! But be wary, and handle it as little as you may! Alas! The wounds of this weapon are beyond my skill to heal. I will do what I can—but all the more do I urge you now to go on without rest."  
>She searched the wound on Frodo's shoulder with her delicate fingers, and her fair face grew graver, as if what she learned disquieted her. But Frodo felt the chill lessen in his side and arm; a little warmth crept back down from his shoulder to his hand, and the pain grew easier. The dusk of evening seemed to grow lighter about him, as if a cloud had been withdrawn. He saw his friends' faces more clearly again, and a measure of new hope and strength returned.<p>

"You shall ride my horse." Arwen said to him. "I will shorten the stirrups up to the saddle-skirts, and you must sit as tight as you can. But you need not fear: my horse will not let any rider fall that I command him to bear. His pace is light and smooth; and if danger presses too near, he will bear you away with a speed that even the black steeds of the enemy cannot rival."

"No, he will not!" Frodo protested. "I shall not ride him, if I am to be carried off to Rivendell or anywhere else, leaving my friends behind in danger."

"Frodo, Frodo, Frodo. Frodo." Kitty said smiling wryly as she shook her head. "That's really very sweet of you, but do you really think we'd be in any danger if we weren't with you? If you took off, they'd probably chase you and forget all about us. We're like chopped liver to them compared to you and what you carry."

To that Frodo had no answer, and he was persuaded to mount Arwen's white horse. The pony was laden instead with a great part of the others' burdens, so that they now marched lighter, and for a time made good speed; but the hobbits began to find it hard to keep up with the swift and tireless feet of the Elf. On she led them, into the mouth of darkness, and still on under the deep clouded night. There was neither star nor moon. Not until the grey of dawn did she allow them to halt. Pippin, Merry, Sam, and the two girls were by that time nearly asleep on their stumbling legs; and even Aragorn seemed to by the sag of his shoulders to be weary. Frodo sat upon the horse in a dark dream.  
>They cast themselves down in the heather as few yards from the roadside, and fell asleep immediately. They seemed hardly to have closed their eyes when Arwen, who had set herself to watch while they slept, awoke them again. The sun had now climbed far into the morning, and the clouds and mists of the night were gone.<p>

"Drink this!" Arwen told them, pouring for each in turn a little liquor from her silver-studded flask of leather. It was clear as spring water and had no taste, and it did not feel either cool or warm in the mouth; but strength and vigor seemed to flow into all their limbs as they drank it. Eaten after that draught the stale bread and dried fruit (which was now all they had left) seemed to satisfy the hunger of the hobbits and girls better than any good breakfast in the Shire or at a Waffle House had done.

"Wow! This stuff is even better than _Red Bull_!" Kitty exclaimed. Who knew Elves could be so good at making energy drinks!

"Especially since there are no weird side-effects, like heart palpitations." Devin added.

They had rested rather less than five hours when they took to the Road again. Arwen still urged them on, and only allowed two brief halts during the day's march. In this way they covered almost twenty miles before nightfall, and came to a point where the Road bent right and ran down towards the bottom of the valley, now making straight for the Bruinen. So far there had been no sign or sound of pursuit that the girls and hobbits could see or hear; but often Arwen would halt and listen for a moment, if they lagged behind, and a look of anxiety clouded her face. Once or twice she spoke to Aragorn in the elf-tongue.  
>But however anxious their guides might be, it was plain the hobbits could go no further that night. They were stumbling along dizzy with weariness, and unable to think of anything but their feet and legs; and the girls were not much better off. Kitty and Devin were active and ate their Wheaties, but even they had their limits. Kitty couldn't help but wonder what Aragorn was made out of since he was supposed to be human, too, and yet he was still a whole head and shoulders above them stamina-wise. Meanwhile Frodo's pain had redoubled, and during the day things about him faded to shadows of ghostly grey. He almost welcomed the coming night, for then the world seemed less pale and empty.<p>

The hobbits and the girls were still weary when they set out again early next morning. There were many miles yet to go between them and the Ford, and they hobbled forward at the best pace they could manage.

"Our peril will be greatest just ere we reach the river," Arwen said; "for my heart warns me that the pursuit is now swift behind us, and other danger may be waiting by the Ford."

The road was still running steadily downhill, and there was now in places much grass at either side, in which the hobbits walked when they could to ease their tired feet. In the late afternoon they came to a place where the Road went suddenly under the dark shadow of tall pines and then plunged into a deep cutting with steep moist walls of red stone. Echoes ran along as they hurried forward; and there seemed to be the sound of many footsteps following their own. Normally this was the kind of natural phenomena the girls would have been delighted to discover and would have had to stop for a few moments to play around and enjoy the effect, but with to the knowledge that they were being pursued by deadly wraiths, they found the echoes they normally would have laughed at somewhat unnerving. All at once, as if through a gate of light, the Road ran out again from the end of the tunnel into the open. There at the bottom of a sharp incline they saw before them a long flat mile, and beyond that the Ford of Rivendell. On the further side was a steep brown bank, threaded by a winding path; and behind that the tall mountains climbed, shoulder above shoulder, and peak beyond peak, into the fading sky.

"What view." Kitty said with a whistle of appreciation.

"Yeah." Devin said softly. It was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen, and it was made all the sweeter by the knowledge that they were so close to safety, a hot meal, and a real bed after everything they had been through to get there. There was still an echo as of following feet in the cutting behind them; a rushing noise as if a wind were rising and pouring through the branches of the pines. One moment Arwen turned and listened, then she sprang forward with a loud cry.

"Fly!" She called. "Fly! The enemy is upon us!"

Devin's and Kitty's eyes widened in realization as the white horse leaped forward; they didn't need to be told twice. The two girls sprang after the elf-horse, and the hobbits followed after them. They ran down the slope while Aragorn and Arwen followed as rear-guard. They were only half way across the flat, when suddenly there was a noise of horses galloping. Out of the gate in the trees that they had just left rode a Black Rider. He reined his horse in, and halted, swaying in his saddle. Another followed him, and then another; then again two more.

"Ride forward! Ride!" Arwen cried to Frodo.

He did not obey at once, for a strange reluctance seized him. Checking the horse to a walk, he turned and looked back. The Riders seemed to sit upon their great steeds like threatening statues upon a hill, dark and solid, while all the woods and land about them receded as if into a mist. Devin skidded to a halt and turned to look back when she realized what was happening.

"Don't listen to them, Frodo!" She cried, snapping the dazed hobbit out of his trance. Suddenly he knew in his heart that they were silently commanding him to wait. Then at once fear and hatred awoke in Frodo. His hand left the bridle and gripped the hilt of his sword, and with a red flash he drew it.

"Frodo!" Devin shouted while Kitty reached back and grabbed her hand, pulling her forward with her.

"Ride on! Ride on!" Arwen cried, and then loud and clear she called to the horse in the elf-tongue: _noro lim, noro lim, Asfaloth!_

At once the white horse sprang away and sped like the wind along the last lap of the Road. At the same moment the black horses leaped down the hill in pursuit, and from the Riders came a terrible cry, such as Frodo had heard filling the woods with horror in the Eastfarthing far away. It was answered; and to the dismay of Frodo and his friends out from the trees and rocks away on the left four other Riders came flying. Two rode towards Frodo: two galloped madly towards the Ford to cut off his escape. They seemed to him to run like the wind and to grow swiftly larger and darker, as their courses converged with his.

"Mr. Frodo!" Sam cried as the white horse bore Frodo and the ring ahead swiftly out of sight, and the five Black Riders overtook he rest of their group, running straight through without pausing for so much as a second look at any of them. Their only concern now was capturing Frodo and the ring.

"Crap!" Kitty cursed.

"We'll never catch them on foot!" Merry cried in dismay.

"Calm yourselves!" Aragorn urged the panicking hobbits. "There is still hope that he may be able to outrun the Riders."

"If Frodo can make it across the river then the power of my people will protect him." Arwen said calmly.

"If we by some miracle we do catch up to them, we'll need a little fire." Devin said, swinging her bag around so she could pull out the can of hairspray again. "Get some branches!" She told the hobbits. "The longer the better."

"What is that?" Arwen asked.

"A weapon." Aragorn said as he left to help the hobbits fetch the wood.

"Actually, it's just hairspray." Devin said as she pulled the lighter from her pocket and flipped it open. "It's normally used as a beauty product, but it's highly flammable, so when you spray it near an open flame..."

"You get an instant blowtorch!" Kitty finished, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "And you said it would be a waste of space when I said I wanted to keep it." Devin rolled her eyes.

"I have never seen such an object before." She said as Aragorn and the hobbits returned.

"They have many strange objects in their possession." He said. "I shall explain in more detail, but now is not the time."

"I don't know how exactly much hairspray is left." Devin began to explain as she took a stick from Pippin and gestured for them to all hold their sticks angled down towards the ground. She started spraying the ends with hairspray. "But putting some on the end of these sticks should make a quick substitute for pitch. We'll get more mileage out of torches than we would using what little is still in the can as a blow torch." She light the lighter and set the torches aflame.

Frodo looked back for a moment over his shoulder. He could no longer see his friends. The Riders behind were falling back: even their great steeds were no match in speed for the white elf-horse of Arwen. He looked forward again and hope faded. There seemed no chance of reaching the Ford before he was cut off by the others that had lain in ambush. He could see them clearly now: they appeared to have cast aside their hoods and black cloaks, and they were robed in white and grey. Swords were naked in their pale hands; helms were on their heads. Their cold eyes glittered, and they called to him with fell voices.  
>Fear now filled all Frodo's mind. He thought no longer of his sword. No cry came from him. He shut his eyes and clung to the horse's mane. The wind whistled in his ears, and the bells upon the harness rang wild and shrill. A breath of deadly cold pierced him like a spear, as with a last spurt, like a flash of white fire, the elf-horse speeding as if on wings, passed right before the face of the foremost Rider.<br>Frodo heard the splash of water. It foamed about his feet. He felt the quick heave and surge as the horse left the river and struggled up the stony path. He was climbing the steep bank. He was across the Ford.  
>But the pursuers were close behind. At the top of the bank the horse halted and turned about neighing fiercely. There were Nine Riders at the water's edge below, and Frodo's spirit quailed before the threat of their uplifted faces. He knew of nothing that would prevent them from crossing as easily as he had done; and he felt that it was useless to try to escape over the long uncertain path from the Ford to the edge of Rivendell, if once the Riders crossed. In any case he felt that he was commanded urgently to halt. Hatred again stirred in him, but he had no longer the strength to refuse.<br>Suddenly the foremost rider spurred his horse forward. It checked at the water and reared up. With a great effort Frodo sat upright and brandished his sword.

"Go back!" he cried. "Go back to the Land of Mordor, and follow me no more!" His voice sounded thin and shrill in his own ears. The Riders halted, but Frodo had not the power of Bombadil. His enemies laughed at him with a harsh and chilling laughter.

"Come back! Come back!" they called. "To Mordor we will take you!"

"Go back!" he whispered.

"The Ring! The Ring!" they cried with deadly voices; and immediately their leader urged his horse forward into the water, followed closely by two others.

"By Elbereth and Lúthien the fair," said Frodo with a last effort, lifting up his sword, "you shall have neither the Ring nor me!"

Then the leader, who was now half across the Ford, stood up menacing in his stirrups, and raised up his hand. Frodo was stricken dumb. He felt his tongue cleave to his mouth, and his heart laboring. His sword broke and fell out of his shaking hand. The elf-horse reared and snorted. The foremost of the black horses had almost set foot upon the shore.  
>At that moment came a roar and a rushing: a noise of loud waters rolling many stones. Dimly Frodo saw the river below him rise, and down along its course there came a plumed cavalry of waves. White flames seemed to Frodo to flicker on the crests and he half fancied he saw amid the water white riders upon white horses with frothing manes. The three Riders that were still in the midst of the Ford were overwhelmed: they disappeared, buried suddenly under angry foam. Those that were behind drew back in dismay.<br>With his last failing senses Frodo heard cries, and it seemed to him that he saw, beyond the Riders that hesitated on the shore, a shining figure of white light; and behind it ran two tall and several small shadowy forms waving flames, that flared red in the grey mist that was falling over the world.  
>The black horses were filled with madness, and leaping forward in terror they bore their riders into the rushing flood. Their piercing cries were drowned in the roaring of the river as it carried them away. Then Frodo felt himself falling, and the roaring and confusion seemed to rise and engulf him together with his enemies. He heard and saw no more.<p>

"No! Frodo!" The others shouted when they saw him slip from the elf-horse's saddle and fall onto the bank beyond the rushing waters.

"No, Sam!" Aragorn said sternly, stopping the stout hobbit before he could try running across the high waters. The current was still to swift. He would and the other hobbits would be swept away. "We must wait for the waters to settle."

"Oh, no." Arwen breathed softly as she stared across the river at Frodo's prone form. "He… Frodo is no longer breathing!"

"What_!_?" Devin and Kitty shouted in alarm, whipping their heads around to glance at her. No, it couldn't be. That wasn't supposed to happen…

"Are you sure?" Aragorn asked gravely. Arwen nodded.

"I can no longer see the rise and fall of his chest." She replied sadly.

"No." Devin said, staring across the river at Frodo's unconscious body while the hobbits began to weep. "No. It's not supposed to end this way—_it can't_! Kitty!" She shouted, turning to her friend. Kitty glanced between her friend and the river and nodded in understanding.

"Aragorn, come here and give me hand." Kitty said, moving closer to the bank. "We're going to throw Devin as far across the river as we can."

"She will never make it." Arwen said with concern. "The current is still too strong."

"Do you want to save Frodo or not?" Devin asked while Kitty instructed Aragorn on how to stand and hold his hands for the stunt they were about to pull. "I've been a lifeguard for the last three summers in a row. I can do it." she said determinedly, taking a deep breath, before getting into position. The hobbits held their breath and watched in awe as, on the count of three, Aragorn and Kitty launched Devin into the air up and over the river. She made it about three thirds of the way across before plunging into the cold water. They were all relieved when her head broke the surface again and she gasped for breath, swimming for the opposite shore at a diagonal rather than wasting energy by trying to swim straight across against the current. Panting and breathing heavily, Devin pulled herself up onto the steep riverbank and paused for a moment to catch her breath once she was out of the water. The moment she was good to go, she picked herself up and scrambled over to the unconscious Frodo; tilted his head back, pinched his nose, and gave him two rescue-breaths before stopping to check his pulse.

"Okay." She said, relieved to feel one. It was weak, but it was still there. His heart was pumping. She just needed to get him to breath again. "Come on, Frodo!" She whispered, taking deep breath before continuing her ministrations. She gave him another two rescue breaths and held her ear close to his open mouth, waiting to see if she could hear or feel him breathing. Nothing. She checked his pulse. Still weak. She gave him two more rescue breaths, and paused to check his breathing. "Oh, thank God!" She exclaimed with tired relief as she sat back on her heels. He was finally breathing on his own again. She took a moment to collect herself before standing up and turning back to face the others.

"He's okay!" She shouted, feeling a bit light headed. "I got him breathing again. His pulse is weak, and his breathing's shallow; but he'll live!" Now they just needed to get him to Elrond.


	8. Chapter 8

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: Rivendell<strong>

* * *

><p>While Devin kept guard over the now breathing but still unconscious Frodo the others began to carefully cross the receding river to join them. First came Arwen, who was anxious to check him for herself.<p>

"Although I do not know how you were able to accomplish such a thing, you have managed to save Frodo's life for the moment." She said while Aragorn helped Kitty and the hobbits across. "But he is fading. He is not going to last. We must get him to my father." Arwen looked up from the hobbit to Devin with the same clinical stare she had just been using while diagnosing Frodo. "What about you? How are you feeling? I do not know what you did, but touching your lips to his so soon after he was hit by the Black Breath was very dangerous. Some of it may have transferred unto you." Devin's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She hadn't even thought of that. Once she heard that Frodo needed CPR, her training had kicked in, and she hadn't thought of anything but saving the poor hobbit.

"Well, I feel a bit woozy—dizzy, I mean—and cold…" Devin admitted slowly. "But I'm pretty sure that has more to do with the fact I just swam across a cold river right before performing CPR. Honestly, I feel fine aside from needing a change of dry clothes."

"Then you have been very fortunate." Arwen said, though she still looked concerned and slightly puzzled. How could a human have performed such a miracle, especially without the aid of magic? She had sensed none coming from the girl. "

"Mr. Frodo! How is he? What happened?" Sam asked urgently as he rushed over to them, dropping to his knees beside his friend and master.

"Lady Devin has managed to help him breathe again, but his life remains endangered by his wound." Arwen said as Merry, Pippin, Kitty, and Aragorn came over to join them as well.

"What if someone rode ahead with him?" Kitty asked.

"I will take him to my father on Asfaloth." Arwen said, preparing to readjust the stirrups.

"The Riders may have been swept away for now, but we do not know how soon they may be able to regroup." Aragorn said. "Stay with the others. I will take him, and I will send horses for you upon reaching Rivendell."

"I am the faster rider." Arwen said. "I will take him."

"Just let her take him, Aragorn." Kitty said. " 'Cause she's obviously not going to let you win this one."

"The Riders should be scattered and formless for weeks at the least." Devin added. "The more time we waste arguing, the less time Lord Elrond will have to heal Frodo before he becomes a wraith."

Aragorn still seemed reluctant, but he nodded in agreement and allowed Arwen to mount her white elf-horse and speed Frodo away to her father.

"So… guess this means more walking for us, huh?" Kitty asked as they watched them ride off and disappear off into the distance with incredible speed.

"Don't worry." Devin told the anxious hobbits. "He'll be all right. You'll see."

Devin shivered as she pulled the blanket she had wrapped around herself tighter. Since all she had was the clothes on her back, Devin really had no choice but to trudge along in her wet clothes. The blanket had helped keep her warm for a while, but now that it was starting to become damp, too, after absorbing some of the water from her clothing. She really hoped she wasn't going to end up catching a cold. She sneezed.

"Dude. You okay?" Kitty asked, concerned.

"Yeah. I'll live." Devin replied glumly, sniffling. "Cross your fingers that I don't get hypothermia out here."

"Hypothermia?" Pippin asked.

"It's a condition in which the body's core temperature drops below that required for normal metabolism and body functions." Devin said.

"I see." He said.

"No you don't." Merry said.

"It's basically the opposite of hyperthermia—you know, heat exhaustion or heat stroke?" Kitty said.

"Oh." Pippin said. That made a bit more sense.

"I doubt I'll get more than a mild case, though." Devin said. "It's not winter yet. I'm actually more concerned I might get trench foot since my shoes and socks are soaking wet."

"Ugh. Can't you get gangrene from that?" Kitty asked, remembering the documentary their high school history teacher had made them watch on WWI.

"Yeah, that's why as soon as we stop for a break, I'm drying off my feet, wrapping them in a warm blanket, and wiggling my toes like crazy to make sure they're getting proper blood circulation before it starts to set in." Devin said. Doing this much walking in wet shoes would probably increase her chances of getting the condition. Aragorn stopped abruptly and glanced back at them.

"What will happen if you are stricken with this 'gangrene'?" He asked. Apparently he had been listening to them after all.

"Basically her feet will start to rot and end up needing to be amputated." Kitty said bluntly earning some horrified looks from the hobbits.

"Way to sugar-coat it, Kitty." Devin deadpanned. "That's just a worse-case scenario. I'm sure I'll be fine." But Aragorn wasn't taking any chances. He cut strips from one of the blankets, and wrapped her feet in them once they had been stripped of their wet socks and shoes; and Devin soon found herself sitting atop the pony, which was being led by Sam, while the others shouldered what was left of the supplies.

"You should say something sooner next time." Aragorn scolded them as he took the lead again.

"Um, sorry?" Devin said, blinking. "I guess we're just too used to the advanced medicine of our… land. Amputations aren't that common where we're from. They can usually fix severe infections before it comes to that."

"Your medicine must rival the Elves'." Sam said, amazed. "Can everyone use magic in your world like the kind you used to save Mr. Frodo?"

"Well, like we keep saying, we can't use magic, Sam." Devin replied calmly. "In fact, no one can. We're just normal humans. All I did was blow air into Frodo's lungs to remind them how they were supposed to work. His body did the rest. Think of the body as a machine, like a clock, only more complex. Once you know how the different parts work, it can be easy to fix."

"But you said you were a 'life guard'." He said. "That don't sound like an ordinary doctor to me."

"Because it isn't." She said. "Lifeguards aren't as schooled in healing illnesses as doctors. Anyone can do it. We're just called that because it's our job to sit on guard and watch over people while they're swimming in pools or at the beach. We get training to keep people safe and do our best to prevent them from getting hurt or drowning while we're on duty. While it's true I can help someone who's stopped breathing, and even restart their heart if necessary, but it's not perfect. How well it works depends on the strength of the person you're trying to help and what kind of shape they're in." Devin bowed her head sadly, remembering the heart attack victim she hadn't been able to save and the look on his kid's face. "No matter how much you want to, you can't save everyone."

"But you saved Mr. Frodo." Sam reminded her.

"Yeah…" She said softly with a small smile. "Yeah, I guess I did." Who would have thought?

On their second day of walking the path to Rivendell they were met by a group of elves on horseback that had been sent to intercept and welcome them. And, to the hobbits' and the girls' immense delight, the Elves had also been thoughtful enough to bring more food with them; and a change of dry clothes for Devin. This, along with some good news about Frodo's condition (Elrond was still working on him, but they had managed to get the injured hobbit there just in time.) served to lighten their spirits considerably; and once they had eaten their fill and regained some of their energy and strength, they joined the Elves on a swift ride to Rivendell that surely would have taken the girls and the hobbits at least five or six days on foot but only took the elf-horses a day and a half to cover.

To the surprise and joy of the hobbits, they were greeted by a familiar face upon entering Rivendell.

"Gandalf!" Merry and Pippin cried with delight upon seeing the wizened old wizard in grey waiting for them. Sam smiled, relieved to see that he was all right.

"I see you have made it safely to Rivendell, my friend." Aragorn said as he dismounted his elven steed. He walked over and clapped hands with his old friend. "You are a sight for sore eyes."

"And you are most welcome." Gandalf told him before glancing at the rest of his companions. His eyes stopped on Kitty and Devin. "I see there are some new faces mixed in with the familiar. I have many questions, but I suppose they can wait, for now. Come, you have been through much; and no doubt wish to rest before being pestered by a curious old man." He said, laying a hand on Aragorn's shoulder.

"Mr. Gandalf, sir." Sam said earnestly, fidgeting nervously, as he stepped forward after being helped down from the horse by the elf that had born him. "What about Mr. Frodo? Is he all right now?"

"Master Elrond is still tending to Frodo at the moment." Gandalf said. His expression clouded slightly as he was reminded of the grave danger Frodo had been in upon his arrival at Rivendell. "But he is expected to pull through. You need not worry, Samwise Gamgee. Your master is in good hands." Sam and the other hobbits visibly relaxed upon hearing this, obviously relieved now that they knew both Frodo and Gandalf would be all right. Pippin yawned as a sudden feeling of sleepiness came over him. He could do with a nice long nap after everything he had been through. They all could. Kitty, Devin, and the hobbits let the elves lead them away to show them to their rooms so they could have a warm bath and rest while Aragorn remained behind to have a word with Gandalf.

"I must speak to Lord Elrond once he has finished tending to Frodo." Aragorn said.

"Is it about those two girls who came with you?" Gandalf asked, furrowing his brow. "Arwen spoke briefly of what she knew of them. She said the smaller one breathed life back into Frodo after he had stopped breathing?"

"Yes." Aragorn said. "She claims there was no magic involved, and that anyone could do it; but I have never seen the like of it in all my travels. I do not sense any evil or malice in them, and they have helped me protect the ring-bearer and his companions without once trying to take the Ring. I do not believe them to be enemy spies, but much about them remains hidden. They carry with them many strange items with mysterious powers, and they speak of a land that is not on any map in Middle Earth. They claim to hail from a place called 'America'."

"America?" Gandalf asked. "Indeed, that name is strange to me. It is of a foreign tongue that I have never encountered before. But I trust your judgment. If you say they are not the enemy then I will believe you, but the uncertainty of their origins is troubling during such turbulent times. In light of what the one called Devin has done for Frodo we shall let them have a chance to rest before questioning them tomorrow. In the meantime I would appreciate it if you could tell me all that you have come to know of them, however little it may be."

In the warmth and safety of her comfortable bed, for a few brief moments, Devin thought the hard and perilous journey she and Kitty had endured after falling into Middle Earth had been nothing more than a dream; but as she rolled over and stared up at the intricately carved ceiling, it began to dawn on her just how wrong that assumption was. With wide eyes Devin shot up in bed and glanced around her room, taking in the elvish architecture and furniture surrounding her. Unless she had been kidnapped by some LARPers with way too much time on their hands, she was still in Middle Earth. It had all been real. Her current surroundings and sore muscles were proof of that. With a groan Devin pushed herself up and out of the bed. Now that she was up she might as well get dressed, find Kitty, and figure out how they were going to ask Gandalf and Elrond for help getting back to their world without sounding like a couple of complete fruit-loops. She walked over to the wardrobe, which had been equipped with elvish-style clothing in her petite size, and selected a violet dress and matching slippers to change into.  
>A soft knock came at the door, and a female elf glided into the room only a few minutes after she had finished getting dressed and brushing her hair with the silver brush they had left out for her. She couldn't find her bag anywhere. She hoped it was with Kitty.<p>

"Lord Elrond requests your presence." The she-elf said.

"Um, okay…" Devin replied a little less eloquently, and followed the elf out, feeling a bit awkward next to the inhumanly graceful being that was now guiding her through the halls. Devin was pretty sure she would need a map and plenty of 'your are here' signs to find her way around this elegant maze on her own.  
>She was led into a room that appeared to be some kind of grand study. The walls were lined from floor to ceiling with books and scrolls. Her dad would have loved it. Already seated at a large beautiful oak table in the middle of the room was Kitty. Devin's guide excused herself and asked her to wait there with her friend.<p>

"Yo." Kitty said as Devin crossed the room to take a seat next to her. "I see you got the special summons, too?"

"Yeah." Devin said, glancing around. "I guess they want to question us."

"I have to say this is the nicest interrogation room I've ever seen." Kitty commented also looking around. "What are they going to do, read to us if we resist? Is it going to be all 'Elrond in the library with a candlestick' if we don't talk?"

"Well, if we were ever going to talk now would be the time." Devin said. "And not just because of what they might so to us if we don't. If we want them to help us get back to our world, eventually we're going to have to tell them the truth about our origins… Again, just don't mention anything about them being 'fictional characters', all right? I really don't think they'd take that too well."

"What if they ask how the story ends?" Kitty asked. Before Devin could answer the doors to the study opened again and Elrond and Gandalf entered the room. "OMG!" Kitty whispered excitedly, caught off-guard by the elf lord's appearance. "Is it just me or does her look like that Agent Smith guy from _The Matrix_?"

"Um, yeah… I'm gonna go with spatial genetic multiplicity for this one." Devin whispered. Kitty couldn't help but grin. She loved it when _Doctor Who_ could be applied to explain real life situations. Elrond and Gandalf stopped before them with raised eyebrows.

"What is this 'spatial genetic multiplicity' of which you speak?" Elrond asked.

"Wow. Try saying that five times fast." Kitty commented.

"It means an echo and repetition of physical traits across a, uh... time rift." Devin explained slowly. She should have known he'd hear them with his sharp elf-ears. "You look identical to someone from our world, but he's human."

"Really?" Elrond asked, arching his brow, as he exchanged a look with Gandalf. "Your _'world'_? Not your 'land'?"

"We were kind of trying to keep a low profile until we got here." Kitty said with a shrug.

"We thought telling people we were from another land would sound less crazy than the truth, which is that we're actually from another world entirely." Devin explained. "Us ending up here was complete accident. To be honest, we aren't even sure how or why it happened. But we were hoping the two of you might be able to help us get back home."

"How did it happen, from your perspective?" Gandalf asked curiously.

"One minute we were walking through a forest in our world then we fell into a river, and when we crawled back out of it we were here. That's how we met Aragorn. He was camping nearby." Kitty said.

"Did you try jumping back into the river?" He asked. The girls blinked and stared at him for a moment before looking at each other.

"Why didn't you think of that?" Kitty asked Devin.

"Why is it my job to think of everything?" Devin asked.

"Because you're the responsible one, duh." Kitty retorted. Devin rolled her eyes, feeling slightly chagrined, while Elrond and Gandalf appeared to be slightly amused and bemused by their little exchange, and filed that last statement away for future reference.

"Anyway, we were wondering if this might've had anything to do with it." Devin said, removing the green beryl crystal necklace from around her neck. She held it out for the elf-lord and wizard to see for themselves. "We heard green beryl was an elf-stone in this world, so we were thinking maybe it had special powers?"

"This stone alone would never be enough to accomplish such a feat." Elrond said as he examined it. "Did you acquire it from the Elves of your world?"

"We don't have elves in our world." Devin replied. "Or dwarves, or any other kind of magical race. We come from a world of Men. A world without magic of any kind. That's why we're so puzzled as to how we could've ended up in a world full of real magic." Elrond and Gandalf exchanged a glance, and the wizard set the girls' backpack down on the table before them.

"If what you say is true then it would help to explain the strange contents of this bag." The wizard said. After examining the foreign items in it, such as the girls' cell phones, lighter, and ipods, they had discovered that they not only possessed zero magical energy or qualities, but much of the materials they had been made of were unlike any known substance in their world; and the inner mechanisms of the small machines were beyond the skill of Men, and possibly even of the skill of dwarves, to create. "I hope you do not mind, but we took the liberty of examining some of your more outlandish belongings. We cannot afford to be too careful. We are experiencing some very troubled times in out world."

"Yeah, we know." Kitty said carelessly. "It's cool. Just do what you gotta. We'd be freaked too if some evil overlord was trying to conquer and enslave us all."

"I believe that statement brings us to another point we wish to discuss." Elrond said. "If you are not from this world then how is that you have come to know so much about it? Are you seers who possess the gift of foresight?" Kitty looked at Devin. She wasn't touching this one. Devin sighed and tried to do her best to explain without imploding their minds or world.

"Well, we're not so much 'seers' as we are… 'readers'." She replied carefully. "In our world there is a series of special books that contain extensive knowledge of this world and all its major happenings: things that have happened, and things that have not yet come to pass, from your perspective. We have read these books. My father has always loved the legends and tales of Middle Earth, and he passed that love on to me." She said, smiling softly at the memory of her late father.

"Yeah. She's a second generation Tolkien fan—a genuine pedigree in nerdiness and geekery." Kitty added, earning herself an elbow in the side from her friend.

"Which is how you knew of Aragorn's true identity and of Frodo and the Ring?" Gandalf asked.

"We know more than that, _Olórin_." Devin said meaningfully, earning surprised looks from both the wizard and Elrond.

"It would seem so." Gandalf replied calmly with a gleam in his wise eyes. Only a _very select _few in Middle Earth knew his true name outside of his fellow Istari.

"But we don't know everything." She added quickly. "For instance, we have no idea what would happen if we were to tell you what we know about the events surrounding the current war of the Ring. It's possible nothing may come of it, but I believe it is more likely that by doing so, despite our good intentions, something might change; and however seemingly insignificant, it might unintentionally have a negative effect on the outcome of this part of your history. We don't want to be responsible for that, so we ask that you allow us to keep as much of what we know about future events to ourselves as possible, unless _absolutely _necessary. We _want_ you to win."

"Cross-dimensional time travel is a lot more complicated than it might seem." Kitty added. "Especially since you guys already seem to be slightly off-kilter." Devin shot her friend a sharp look for bringing it up.

"Indeed?" Elrond asked exchanging another look with Gandalf.

"Actually, we've already noticed some discrepancies between what we thought was supposed to happen and what has actually come to pass." Devin said hesitantly. "For one thing, we heard from Aragorn that the shards of Narsil have been left in your care, and he doesn't seem to have any intention of having the sword reforged. But from what we read, he should have kept the heirloom in his possession, and he should have been on his way here to have it reforged when he encountered the hobbits. Also, you did not send Arwen out to find them after receiving news that the hobbits were traveling without Gandalf. It was a male elf named Glorfindel who found them. And Frodo did not stop breathing. His wound was severe, and he lost consciousness, but he was brought to you without needing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. And of course Kitty and I were never here." She explained, pausing to take a breath. "But you seem to be back on track now. Frodo should be waking up tomorrow morning at about ten o'clock."

"Oh really?" Gandalf asked. "Ten o'clock, you say?" That was helpfully specific.

"And once all the other guests have finished arriving, you'll be able to talk about how to get rid of the Ring." Kitty added.

"Guests?" Elrond asked.

"Yep. Peeps from Gondor, dwarves, and some elves from Mirkwood. They've all come to talk to you about stuff relating to Sauron and the Ring, whether they know it or not." Kitty replied.

"Kitty, what did we just say about revealing too much about the future?" Devin asked, resisting the urge to face palm.

"Oh. Oops, my bad." Kitty said with a sheepish grin. "I guess they get a freebie."

"Anyway, given what we know, I think it would be best for everyone if the two of us just went back to our own world before we have a chance to screw up yours because I don't think we'd handle being tortured too well; and if the Enemy gets his hands on one of us, he'll know everything we do. Fortunately he doesn't know about us yet, so he won't be looking for us." Devin said. "We understand you have your hands full dealing with the Ring situation here, but when you have time…"

"You would like for us to find a way to send you back home." Gandalf finished for her.

"Yes, if it's not too much trouble." Devin said. The wizard and Elrond took a moment to consider everything they had just heard. These two girls were indeed strange, and their story seemed rather far-fetched; but it would explain the mysterious items they carried and their odd mannerisms. As Aragorn had said, there was no evil in them, and they appeared to be genuine.

"Very well." Elrond said at length. "Once council has been held and the fate of the Ring decided, we shall do what we can to help you. In the meantime the two of you are welcome to stay here." The two girls relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. Thank God for that.

"Awesome." Kitty said. "Now, anyone else in the mood for second breakfast?" Gandalf chuckled and shook his head. No wonder they had been able to get along so splendidly with the hobbits.


	9. Chapter 9

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Many Meetings<strong>

* * *

><p>Frodo woke and found himself lying in bed. At first he thought that he had slept late, after a long unpleasant dream that still hovered on the edge of memory. Or perhaps he had been ill? But the ceiling looked strange; it was flat, and it had dark beams richly carved. He lay a little while longer looking at patches of sunlight on the wall, and listening to the sound of a waterfall.<p>

"Where am I, and what is the time?" he said aloud to the ceiling.

"In the house of Elrond, and it is ten o'clock in the morning." Said a familiar voice. "It is October the twenty-fourth, if you want to know."

"Gandalf!" Frodo cried, sitting up. There was the old wizard, sitting in a chair by the open window. Gandalf smiled slightly to himself, relieved to see the dear hobbit looking so animated. Those girls had been right. He hadn't had to wait long for Frodo to wake after relieving Sam.

"Yes," he said, "I am here. And you are lucky to be here, too, after all the absurd things you have done since you left home." The wizard had already heard quite enough about the misadventures that took place during their venture from the rest of his traveling companions.

Frodo lay down again. He felt too comfortable and peaceful to argue, and in any case he did not think he would get the better of an argument. He was fully awake now, and the memory of his journey was returning: the disastrous 'short cut' through the Old Forest; the 'accident' at _The Prancing Pony_; and his madness in putting on the Ring in the dell under Weathertop. While he was thinking of all these things and trying in vain to bring memory down to his arrival in Rivendell, there was a long silence, broken only by the soft puffs of Gandalf's pipe, as he blew white smoke-rings out of the window.

"Where's Sam?" Frodo asked at length. "And are the others all right?"

"Yes, they are all safe and sound." Gandalf answered. "Sam was here until I sent him off to get some rest, about half an hour ago."

"What happened at the Ford?" said Frodo. "It all seemed so dim, somehow; and it still does."

"Yes it would. You were beginning to fade." Answered Gandalf. "The wound was overcoming you at last. A few more hours and you would have been beyond our aid. But you have some strength in you, my dear hobbit! As you showed in the Barrow. That was touch and go: perhaps the most dangerous moment of all. I wish you could have held out at Weathertop."

"You seem to know a great deal already." Frodo said. "I have not spoken to the others about the Barrow. At first it was too horrible, and afterwards there were other things to think about. How do you know about it?"

"You have talked long in your sleep, Frodo," Gandalf said, "and it has not been hard for me to read your mind and memory. Do not worry! Though I said 'absurd' just now, I did not mean it. I think well of you and of the others. It is no small feat to have come so far, and through such dangers, still bearing the Ring."

"We should never have done it without Strider. And Devin and Kitty were of some help to us as well." Frodo said. "But we needed you. I did not know what to do without you."

"I was delayed," Gandalf said, "and that nearly proved our ruin. And yet I am not sure: it may have been better so."

"I wish you would tell me what happened!"

"All in good time! You are not supposed to talk or worry about anything today, by Elrond's orders."

"But talking would stop me thinking and wondering, which are quite as tiring." Said Frodo. "I am wide awake now, and I remember so many things that want explaining. Why were you delayed? You ought to tell me that at least."

"You will hear all you wish to know." Gandalf said. "We shall have a Council, as soon as you are well enough. At the moment I will only say that I was held captive."

"You?" cried Frodo.

"Yes, I, Gandalf the Grey," said the wizard solemnly. "There are many powers in the world, for good or for evil. Some are greater than I am. Against some I have not yet been measured. But my time is coming. The Morgul-lord and his Black Riders have come forth. War is preparing!"

"Then you knew of the Riders already—before I met them?"

"Yes, I knew of them. And I spoke of them once to you; for the Black Riders are the Ringwraiths, the Nine Servants of the Lord of the Rings. But I did not know that they had arisen again or I should have fled with you at once. I heard news of them only after I left you in June; but that story must wait. For the moment we have been saved from disaster by Aragorn and those girls. Devin saved you when you stopped breathing at the Ford."

"Yes," said Frodo, "it was Strider, Devin, and Kitty that saved us. Yet I was afraid of them at first. Sam never quite trusted them, I think, not at any rate until we met Lady Arwen." Gandalf smiled.

"I have heard all about Sam." He said. "He has no more doubts now."

"I am glad." Frodo said. "For I have become very fond of them. Well, _fond_ is not the right word. I mean they are dear to me; though they are strange, and grim at times. In fact, they remind me often of you. I didn't know that any of the Big People were like that; though Devin is rather small for one. I thought, well, that they were just big, and rather stupid: kind and stupid like Butterbur; or stupid and wicked like Bill Ferny. But then we don't know much about Men in the Shire, except perhaps Breelanders."

"You don't know much even about them, if you think old Barliman is stupid." Gandalf said. "He is wise enough on his own ground. He thinks less than he talks, and slower; yet he can see through a brick wall in time (as they say in Bree). But there are few left in Middle Earth like Aragorn son of Arathorn. The race of Kings from over the Sea is nearly at an end. It may be that this War of the Ring will be their last adventure."

"Do you really mean that Strider is one of the people of the old Kings?" said Frodo in wonder. "I thought they had all vanished long ago. I though he was only a Ranger."

"Only a Ranger!" cried Gandalf. "My dear Frodo, that is just what Rangers are: the last remnant in the North of the great people, the Men of the West. They have helped me before; and I shall need their help in the days to come; for we have reached Rivendell, but the Ring is not yet at rest."

"I suppose not." Frodo said. "But so far my only thought has been to get here; and I hope I shan't have to go any further. It is very pleasant just to rest. I have had a month of exile and adventure, and I find that has been as much as I want."

"Frodo!" Sam cried with excitement when he entered the room and saw him awake. "Mr. Frodo!" He ran over to his bedside. Gandalf raised an eyebrow. It would seem his advice to get some sleep had been ignored.

"Sam." Frodo said, pleasantly surprised.

"Bless you, you're awake!" Sam said.

"I thought you were supposed to be resting?" Frodo said.

"I couldn't sleep." Sam said. "We were that worried about you. Weren't we, Mr. Gandalf?"

"By the skills of Lord Elrond, you're beginning to mend." Gandalf answered, glancing up as the elf-lord entered the room to check on his patient. The face of Elrond was ageless, neither old nor young, though in it was written the memory of many things both glad and sorrowful. His hair was dark as the shadows twilight, and upon his brow was set a circlet of silver; his eyes were grey as a clear evening, and in them was a light like the light of stars. Venerable he seemed as a king crowned with many winters, and yet hale as a tried warrior in the fullness of his strength. He was the Lord of Rivendell and mighty among both Elves and Men.

"Welcome to Rivendell, Frodo Baggins." Elrond said graciously.

Meanwhile, Kitty and Devin were chilling in one of the elven gazebos, watching the waterfalls while sharing the earbuds for Kitty's ipod.

"You know, Devin, I've been thinking." Kitty said.

"Uh-oh." Devin said, bracing herself.

"Maybe we should stay." Kitty said seriously.

"You want to stay?" Devin asked dubiously. "You realize it's just going to be more of the same if we do, right? And these batteries won't last forever. Normally you can barely even handle losing your connection to the internet for an hour."

"Pfft! Who needs the internet when you've got magic and big evil to slay?" Kitty retorted.

"I thought you preferred _Harry Potter_."

"Well, we're not in the Potter-verse. We're here; and I'll take what I can get." Kitty said firmly. "Come on. Do you really want to go home? This has to be like a dream come true for you! It's not like we really have anyone waiting for us back there."

"You have your parents and your brother." Devin reminded her. Kitty frowned. "Besides, it's not like they need our help. We both know how this ends. They're more than capable of saving this world without us. But we need to get back to ours before you run out of medicine." Right now her greatest concern was taking care of her best friend.

"Don't treat me like I'm crazy. I can take that from anyone but you." Kitty said sternly. "And don't talk to me about my family. You know how I feel about them. I don't want to leave. I haven't felt this alive since—since before you know what. I want this. _I need this._ Our whole lives we've dreamed of going off on some big adventure, and now we've landed smack dab at the beginning of the biggest one of all! _Please_, don't make me leave. Not now. This'll do me more good than any amount of pills ever could; besides, aren't you worried about _them_? These guys are your childhood heroes and something is seriously out of whack here. We need to stay and brainwash Aragorn into becoming king."

"Don't you mean _convince_?" Devin asked.

"Now, Devin," Kitty said, "you know the only 'convincing' I do is with my fists…"

"Okay, 'brainwashing' it is." Devin said, smiling wanly. "If you're sure this is what you really want then I'll stand by you. To be honest, I'm also worried about what might happen to our world should Sauron win—if two powerless girls can manage to slip through an inter-dimensional rift I'd hate to think what an evil Maiar like Sauron would be capable of, if he ever found it. But if at any point you start to change your mind, and decide you need to go home then please, _please_ tell me. I can't lose you, too."

"Don't worry." Kitty said, smiling as she hugged her best friend. "I promise to give you a heads up if I start noticing any red flags that mean I might be heading for a relapse. Come on, let's go find the hobbits. Frodo should be awake by now, right?"

"All right." Devin said. "But we should probably let Elrond and Gandalf know we changed our minds; you know, _before_ they waste valuable time trying fix a problem that's no longer a rush-job for us."

"His strength returns." Elrond observed as he and Gandalf watched from a balcony while Frodo walked out into the courtyard below with Sam to reunite with Merry, Pippin, Devin, and Kitty. There was great joy and relief on all their faces. Kitty pulled a surprised Frodo into a tight hug and spun around with him while Sam fussed and the others laughed. It was obvious they had all become good friends.

"That wound will never fully heal." Gandalf said. "He will carry it all the rest of his life."

"And yet to have come so far still bearing the Ring the Hobbit has shown extraordinary resilience to its evil." Elrond pointed out. Even now Frodo was continuing to heal much faster than they had anticipated.

"It is a burden he should never have had to bear. We can ask no more of Frodo." Gandalf said.

"Gandalf, the enemy is moving." Elrond said pointedly. "Sauron's forces are massing in the East. His Eye is fixed on Rivendell. From what those girls told us yesterday it sounded as though we should be able to defeat him, yet I cannot see that happening; and they also say something is wrong with the way some events have proceeded up to this point. I have not known an elf named Glorfindel since the first war against Sauron. Given their emphasis on how much of an effect even the most seemingly insignificant change can have, I find this troubling. And Saruman, you tell me, has betrayed us. Our list of allies grows thin."

"His treachery runs deeper than you know. By foul craft, Saruman has crossed Orcs with Goblin-men." Gandalf said. "He is breeding an army in the caverns of Isengard. An army that can move in sunlight and cover great distance at speed. Saruman is coming for the Ring."

"This evil cannot be concealed by the power of the Elves." Elrond said, furrowing his brow. "We do not have the strength to fight both Mordor and Isengard!" Gandalf fell silent and looked away. "Gandalf." The great elf-lord said firmly. "The Ring cannot stay here." As Gandalf looked up he could see some of the 'guests' the girls had mentioned were arriving at the gates of Rivendell: a fair-haired elf clothed in the style of Mirkwood rode in on a splendid white horse; and several dwarves, among whom were one or two familiar faces.

"This peril belongs to all Middle Earth." Elrond said, following the wizard's gaze with his own eyes. "They must decide now how to end it. The time of the Elves is over. My people are leaving these shores. Who will you look to when we have gone? The Dwarves? They hide in mountains seeking riches. They care not for the troubles of others."

"It is in Men that we must place our hope." Gandalf said, turning back to face his old friend.

"Men?" Elrond asked. "Men are weak. The race of Men is failing." He turned and walked back inside his study. Gandalf followed. "The blood of Númenor is all but spent, its pride and dignity forgotten. It is because of Men the Ring survives. I was there, Gandalf. I was there three-thousand years ago; I was there the day the strength of Men failed. It should have ended that day, but evil was allowed to endure. Isildur kept the Ring. The line of Kings is broken. There is no strength left in the world of Men. They are scattered, divided, leaderless."

"There is one who could unite them." Gandalf said. "One who could reclaim the throne of Gondor." The girls had hinted at this as well when they spoke of Aragorn and the shards of Narsil.

"He turned from that path a long time ago." Elrond said. "He has chosen exile."

Later that day Devin was enjoying some alone time while Kitty showed Merry and Pippin how to make paper airplanes, and had decided to take a walk and explore a little more of Rivendell. She paused when she felt eyes on her and turned to see that a very handsome, even beautiful, male elf with shining golden hair and silver eyes was staring at her with open curiosity. He must not have seen many humans her height before. Everyone (aside from the hobbits) seemed to be absurdly tall in this world. She stared back, taking in more details about him. He was dressed in mostly greens and browns, and his clothing was of a different style than the Rivendell Elves. He was also wearing a traveling cloak and leading a white horse. From this it was obvious he must be a traveler who had just arrived; the bow and quiver of arrows slung over his shoulders were the final clues as to who he might be.

"Am I correct in guessing that you are Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood? If you are looking for Lord Elrond, I believe you will find him in that building." Devin told him, pointing to the one she had met with him in earlier to discuss her and Kitty's change of heart. "If not, then I'm sure you'll at least be able to find someone who knows their way around better than I do."

"You have me at a disadvantage." Legolas said with a polite smile. So perfect and graceful in form was the human girl before him, despite her small stature, that one might have mistaken her for a young elf. He could not help but be intrigued by her unusual eye-color. Her irises were such a deep blue that they were nearly violet. "For someone I have never met before you seem to know much about me, yet I know nothing of you. Tell me, what is your name?"

"My name is—" Devin began to politely introduce herself, when she was suddenly tackled from behind and nearly knocked off her feet by a very familiar body mass.

"—Devin!" Kitty shouted excitedly, jumping up and down. "Devin! Devin! Guess what? I just saw some dwarves—and even _they_ were taller than you! Haha, isn't that funny?" Kitty froze mid-laugh when she noticed Mr. Tall-blonde-and-handsome standing just behind her short friend. "Well, _hello _there." She said flirtatiously, putting on her 'come hither' eyes, while she leaned on Devin. "And who might you be?"

"Prince Legolas of Mirkwood." Devin deadpanned, unamused to find herself being reduced to Kitty's armrest. "Legolas, Kitty. Kitty, Legolas. There, now we all know each other's names." She said, introducing them. "Kitty, please get off me. You know I how demeaning I think it is when you do that."

"Greetings, your Royal Hotness." Kitty purred at the elf-prince as she eased off of the somewhat disgruntled Devin.

Legolas raised an eyebrow at Kitty. _No._

"I thank you for your advice, Lady Devin. I shall go see Lord Elrond at once." He said, excusing himself. The two girls watched him walk away.

"Call me." Kitty called after him. Devin smiled wryly and shook her head.

"I can't believe you."

"What? I can't help it. Elves are pretty. It's practically a reverse-harem up in here."

"You're incorrigible." Devin said, laughing.

"Have I ever mentioned how much I love it when you oh so casually use words over three syllables long?" Kitty said with a grin. "Come on. It's almost time for the 'Yay, Frodo survived!' feast. Let's go decide what to wear so you can help me tame this massive mane of gorgeous blonde curls into something a little more black-tie."

The girls had only just finished doing each other's hair in Devin's room when they were summoned to the hall by the ringing of many bells. They met up with the hobbits along the way, and found the hall of Elrond's house was filled with folk: Elves for the most part, though there were a few guests of other sorts, some of whom they had already met. Elrond, as was his custom, sat in a great chair at the end of the long table upon the dais; and next to him on the one side sat Arwen, on the other side sat Gandalf. Once again, Devin noted that Glorfindel appeared to be absent. She was beginning to think he may not exist at all, which she found very strange and puzzling.  
>Frodo looked at them in wonder, for without the poisoned splinters in his wound to cloud his vision, he could now see Lady Arwen in full beauty. Young she was and yet not so. The braids of her dark hair were touched by no frost; her white arms and clear face were flawless and smooth, and the light of stars was in her bright eyes, blue as a cloudless night; yet queenly she looked, and thought and knowledge were in her glance, as of one who has known many things that the years bring. Above her brow her head was covered with a cap of silver lace netted with small gems, glittering white; but her soft grey raiment had no ornament save a girdle of leaves wrought in silver. Such loveliness in a living thing Frodo had never seen before nor imagined in his mind; and looking closer even Gandalf, whom he thought he knew so well, was revealed as a lord of dignity and power beside Elrond. The wizard's long white hair, his sweeping silver beard, and his broad shoulders, made him look like some wise king of ancient legend. In his aged face under great snowy brows his wise eyes were set like coals that could leap suddenly into fire. The hobbit was both surprised and abashed to find that he had a seat at Elrond's table among all these folk so high and fair. Though he had a suitable chair, and was raised upon several cushions, he felt very small, and rather out of place; but that feeling quickly passed. The feast was merry and the food all that his hunger could desire. It was some time before he looked about him again or even turned to his neighbors.<br>He looked first for his friends. Sam had begged to be allowed to wait on his master but hat been told that for this time he was a guest of honor. Frodo could see him now, sitting with Pippin, Merry, Kitty, and Devin at the upper end of one of the side stables close to the dais. He could see no sign of Strider.

His friends also noticed this from their table; and, though she said nothing, Devin was very curious about where he might be since she was pretty sure his whereabouts during this time had remained secret even in the book. Kitty somehow managed to end up in an eating contest with Pippin and Merry, and Devin soon found herself in conversation with the red-haired dwarf seated across from her.

"I am Gimli, son of Glóin." He introduced himself pleasantly as he piled more food onto his plate, and pointed out his father, who was seated next to Frodo at the table on the dais. "And you, lassie?"

"I am Devin Gladwin, daughter of John Gladwin." Devin replied politely in the same fashion.

"Hmm… those names are strange to me." He said thoughtfully. "Where are you from, Devin Gladwin?"

"Just 'Devin' is fine. I come from a land far, far away from here." She said with a wry smile. "And I shall leave it at that for now. A girl has to have some mystery in order to remain interesting, don't you think?"

"You're interesting enough without it." Gimli said as he ate. "It's nice to see two girls with such healthy appetites."

"We're making up for lost time." Devin said with a wry smile. "It was a rough journey here for us, but I don't want to bore you with the details. I'm sure you'll hear about it at the Council tomorrow." Once again Devin felt as though she was being watched. She looked up and found herself staring into the clear and bright grey eyes of Legolas again. She felt her cheeks heat up slightly as she looked back down and took another sip of wine. She hoped she wasn't blushing. She didn't usually get flustered so easily. Maybe she should lay off the wine…


	10. Chapter 10

I own nothing but my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: The Hall of Fire<strong>

* * *

><p>At length the feast came to an end. Elrond and Arwen rose and went down the hall, and the company followed them in due order. The doors were thrown open, and they went across a wide passage through other doors, and came into a further hall. In it were no tables, but a bright fire was burning in a great hearth between the carven pillars on either side.<br>Frodo found himself walking with Gandalf.

"This is the Hall of Fire." Said the wizard. "Here you will hear many songs and tales—if you can keep awake. But except on high days it usually stands empty and quiet, and people come here who wish for peace, and thought. There is always a fire here, all the year round, but there is little other light."

As Elrond entered and went towards the seat prepared for him, Elvish minstrels began to make sweet music. Slowly the hall filled, and Frodo looked with delight upon the many faces that were gathered together; the golden firelight played upon them and shimmered in their hair. Suddenly he noticed, not far from the further end of the fire, a small dark figure seated on a stool with his back propped against a pillar. Beside him on the ground was a drinking-cup and some bread. Frodo wondered whether he was ill (if people were ever ill in Rivendell), and had been unable to come to the feast. His head seemed sunk in sleep on his breast, and a fold of his dark cloak was drawn over his face. Frodo noticed that Devin was watching the mysterious figure with a kind and knowing smile. She whispered something to Kitty, and the other girl's eyes lit up as she too looked over at the seated figure.  
>Elrond went forward and stood beside the silent figure.<p>

"Awake, little master!" he said, with a smile. Then, turning to Frodo, he beckoned to him. "Now at last the hour has come that you have wished for Frodo." He said. "Here is a friend that you have long missed."

The dark figure raised its head and uncovered its face.

"Bilbo!" cried Frodo with sudden recognition, and he sprang forward. Devin and Kitty smiled as they watched the happy reunion.

"Hullo, Frodo my lad!" said Bilbo. "So you have got here at last. I hoped you would manage it. Well, well! So all this feasting is in your honor, I hear. I hope you enjoyed yourself?"

"Why weren't you there?" cried Frodo. "And why haven't I been allowed to see you before?"

"Because you were asleep. I have seen a good deal of _you_. I have sat by your side with Sam each day. But as for the feast, I don't go in for such things much now. And I had something else to do."

"What were you doing?" Kitty asked curiously as she and Devin approached the two hobbits.

"Why sitting and thinking, my young lady. I do a lot of that nowadays, and this is the best place to do it in, as a rule. Wake up, indeed!" Bilbo said, cocking an eye at Elrond. There was a bright twinkle in it and no sign of sleepiness that they could see. "Wake up! I was not asleep, Master Elrond. If you want to know, you have all come out from your feast too soon, and you have disturbed me—in the middle of making up a song. I was stuck over a line or two, and was thinking about them; but now I don't suppose I shall ever get them right. There will be such a deal of singing that the ideas will be driven clean out of my head. I shall have to get my friend the Dúnadan to help me. Where is he?" Kitty smirked. She liked old Bilbo he was great, telling off an elf-lord like it was nothing. Apparently Elrond thought so, too, because he laughed.

"He shall be found." He said. "Then you two shall go into a corner and finish your task, and we will hear it and judge it before we end our merrymaking." Messengers were sent to find Bilbo's friend, though none knew where he was or why he had not been present at the feast.

"Come on. Let's give them a little quality family time to catch up." Devin said, leading Kitty away so the uncle and nephew could talk amongst themselves in peace.

"Aw, but I like Bilbo." Kitty said. "He's spicy."

"You can talk to him later." Devin said reasonably. "Let Frodo have dibs for now. He's been wanting to see his uncle for ages."

"I hear you are quite the musician, Miss Kitty." Elrond said, turning to face the girls. "If you would like, I can have your instrument brought here to you."

"Oh, yes, please!" Kitty said excitedly, lighting up like a Christmas tree.

"Thank you." Devin said, smiling at how happy her friend was to be playing for an audience again. The girls took a seat near the fire while they waited and listened to the beautiful music being woven like a spell by the skilled Elven musicians and were soon once again in the company of Gimli, Merry, and Pippin again. Sam had seated himself nearer to Frodo and Bilbo while he also enjoyed the fired listened to the music. Devin found herself unconsciously searching the room for Legolas. He was conversing with some of the Rivendell Elves who appeared to be his age. When she realized what she was doing she quickly looked away before she was noticed and turned her attention back to her friends.  
>Yep. Too much wine.<p>

In the meanwhile Frodo and Bilbo exchanged stories of how they both came to be in Rivendell that night and the most recent news they had heard.

"I hear all kinds of news, from over the Mountains, and out of the South, but hardly anything from the Shire. I heard about the Ring, of course. Gandalf has been here often. Not that he has told me a great deal, he has become closer than ever these last few years. The Dúnadan has told me more. Fancy that ring of mine causing such a disturbance! It is a pity Gandalf did not find out more sooner." Bilbo said. "I could have brought the thing here myself long ago without so much trouble, I have thought several times of going back to Hobbiton for it; but I am getting old, and they would not let me: Gandalf and Elrond, I mean. They seemed to think the Enemy was looking high and low for me, and would make mincemeat of me, if he caught me tottering in the Wild. And Gandalf said: 'The Ring has passed on, Bilbo. It would do no good to you or others if you tried to meddle with it again.' Odd sort of remark, just like Gandalf. But he said he was looking after you, so I let things be. I am frightfully glad to see you safe and sound." He paused and looked at Frodo doubtfully.

"Have you got it here?" he asked in a whisper. "I can't help feeling curious, you know, after all I've heard. I should very much just like to peep at it again."

"Yes, I've got it." Frodo answered, feeling a strange reluctance. "It looks just the same as ever it did."

"Well, I should just like to see it for a moment." Said Bilbo.

When he had dressed, Frodo found that while he slept the Ring had been hung about his neck on a new chain, light but strong. Slowly he drew it out. Bilbo put out his hand. But Frodo quickly drew back the Ring. To his distress and amazement he found that he was no longer looking at Bilbo; a shadow seemed to have fallen between them, and threw it he found himself eyeing a little wrinkled creature with a hungry face and bony groping hands. He felt a desire to strike him.  
>The music and singing around them seemed to falter, and a silence fell. Bilbo looked quickly at Frodo's face and passed his hand across his eyes.<p>

"I understand now." He said. "Put it away! I am sorry: sorry you have come in for this burden: sorry about everything. Don't adventures ever have an end? I suppose not. Someone else always has to carry on the story. Well, it can't be helped. I wonder if it's any good trying to finish my book? But don't let's worry about it now—let's have some real News! Tell me all about the Shire!"

Frodo hid the Ring away, and the shadow passed leaving hardly a shred of memory. The light and music of Rivendell were about him again. With the arrival of her trumpet, Kitty began to wow the Elves and their guests with a jazz song called _La Vie en Rose_. The soulful style of play was unlike anything they had ever heard before, and the skill with which Kitty's fingers danced over her instrument was impressive. Bilbo smiled and laughed happily. He found the warm tones of her trumpet very pleasant and interesting to listen to. And every item of news from the Shire that Frodo could tell—aided and corrected now and again by Sam—was of the greatest interest to him, from the felling of the least tree to the pranks of the smallest children in Hobbiton. They were so deep in the doings of the Four Farthings that they did not notice the arrival of a man clad in dark green cloth. For many minutes he stood looking down at them with a smile.  
>Devin noticed this and smiled. Curious about where he had been, she got up and crossed the room to talk to him. Bilbo must have caught her movements out the corner of his eye because he suddenly looked up as she approached.<p>

"Ah, there you are at last, Dúnadan!" he cried.

"Strider!" said Frodo. "You seem to have a lot of names."

"Well, _Strider_ is one that I haven't heard before, anyway." Said Bilbo. "What do you call him that for?"

"They call me that in Bree," said Aragorn, laughing, "and that is how I was introduced to him."

"And why do you call him Dúnadan?" Frodo asked as Devin joined them.

"_The_ Dúnadan." Bilbo said. "He is often called that here. But I thought you knew enough Elvish at least to know _dún-adan_: Man of the West, Númenorean. But this is not the time for lessons! Where have you been, my friend?"

"Yes, why weren't you at the feast?" Devin chimed in. "Lady Arwen was there." Aragorn looked down at them gravely.

"I know." He said. "But often I must put mirth aside. Elladan and Elrohir have returned out of the Wild unlooked-for, and they had tidings that I wished to hear at once." Devin furrowed her brow slightly in concern and was about to ask what tidings they had when Bilbo spoke again.

"Well, my dear fellow," said the old hobbit, "now you've heard the news, can't you spare me a moment? I want your help in something urgent. Elrond says this song of mine is to be finished before the evening, and I am stuck. Let's go off into a corner and polish it up!" Aragorn smiled.

"Come then!" he said. "Let me hear it!" Devin smiled wryly as she watched them go. Either the news had turned out to be less important than it had sounded, or he had already relayed it to Elrond and whoever else needed to know. Well, whatever, Aragorn deserved to have a chance to relax after everything he had done for them.

"What is this song she's playing?" Frodo asked, nodding at Kitty, who was still performing. Devin smiled.

"It's _Rhapsody in Blue_, adapted to the trumpet." She said. "It's meant to be played with an orchestra or a band, but Kitty liked it so much she sat down and figured out how to make it work on just one trumpet. She's a genius when it comes to music."

Kitty smiled and bowed once she had finished performing, and her audience began to applaud.

"Thank you! Thank you! I'll be here all week." She said with a cheeky grin before stepping aside and giving the floor back to the Elvish musicians.

"That was quite a performance." Gandalf said, approaching Kitty while she put away her trumpet.

"Thanks."

"I hear you and Miss Devin have decided to stay?" the wizard asked.

"Yeah. Well, I decided I wasn't ready to go home yet, so naturally Devin couldn't leave either." Kitty replied. "I had a feeling it would turn out like that. She'd never leave behind anyone who needed her, probably because she knows what it feels like to be abandoned." Kitty froze as she shut the trumpet's case and turned to stare at wizard with wide eyes before clapping a hand over her own mouth. "Oh my God! I can't believe I just said that!" she whispered. "Just ignore me! Forget I said anything! Ah, I must've had too much wine! The filter on my mouth is always the first thing to go."

"You seem flushed. Perhaps some cool night air would do you good?" Gandalf suggested. Kitty glanced over at Devin, who was conversing with Frodo.

"Yeah, hopefully the air will be cold enough to sober me up." She said glumly, chagrined at herself. Kitty got up and went to stand on the balcony overlooking the valley. She rubbed her arms. It was a bit nippy.

"You seemed troubled." Gandalf said, following her. "Is there something you wish to talk about?"

"Nice try, Dr. Phil, but I've said too much already." Kitty retorted a bit sassily. Gandalf raised an eyebrow at her. "Uh, it's a pop-culture reference from our world… Like I said, just ignore me." She said a bit more sheepishly, avoiding eye-contact.

"Whatever you say shall not be passed beyond the two of us." Said Gandalf patiently.

"Why?" Kitty asked. "Why go out of your way to talk to me?"

"Perhaps I am curious about the two of you." He said. "I have met people of all sorts from many different lands, but never have I met people from another world before."

"Yeah, it's a new experience for me, too." Kitty said with a wry smile. "Well, I guess I might as well explain so you don't get the wrong idea, as long as you promise not to tell anyone else." She cast a sidelong glance at the wizard before continuing. "Devin's adopted. She's not ashamed of it because she loves her adopted-parents, but for a long time she was really hurt that her real mother didn't want her, so she doesn't like to talk about it. There's this quote I heard somewhere before: 'The loneliest people are the kindest. The saddest people smile the brightest. The most damaged people are the wisest. All because they do not wish to see anyone else suffer the way they have.' I think it sums Devin up pretty well. She's been through a lot, but she hasn't let it make her hard or bitter… She's a lot stronger than I am." Kitty admitted solemnly, staring out into the cold dark night while she listened to the music and merrymaking coming from the warm hall.

"What are the two of you going to do now?" Frodo asked Devin curiously.

"To be honest, I'm not really sure yet." Devin replied. "I suppose it depends on how things go at the Council tomorrow."

"You will be there as well?" Frodo asked.

"Yes, but mostly just as observers." She said. "We want to help, but we also have to be careful not to interfere too much." Frodo was about to ask her what she meant by that when Kitty walked up to them.

"Are you all right?" Devin asked, concerned. To those who didn't know Kitty well, she might appear to be fine, but the usual mischievous gleam in her eyes was gone, and she seemed almost melancholy.

"I'm fine." Kitty said, not wanting to worry the hobbit. "I think I might've had too much wine. Can you come with me for a sec?"

"Yeah, of course." Devin said, immediately getting to her feet. "Sorry, Frodo, but I've got to get Kitty out of here before she dancing on tables like nobody's watching. Goodnight. See you tomorrow."

"Yes, goodnight." Frodo called after the two girls with a wry smile as they left the hall together.

"So, how are you really?" Devin asked once they were in the privacy of Kitty's room. "On a scale of one to ten."

"I feel like I'm at about a four… but I think it's probably more because I had too much wine." Kitty said thoughtfully. "We both now I'm a sad/sentimental drunk. I was just worried I might start crying before I got to my room."

"Do you want me to stay?" Devin asked.

"Yeah. I don't want to be alone." Kitty said quietly as she lay down on her bed. "My ipod died. Can you sing me to sleep?"

"Any requests?" Devin asked as she sat down on the bed beside her.

"_My Chemical Romance_?" Kitty suggested.

"All right." Devin said with a wan smile and began to sing softly. Kitty soon fell asleep to their song _Venom_.


	11. Chapter 11

I own nothing but my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11: The Council of Elrond<strong>

* * *

><p>Devin woke early the next day, feeling refreshed and well. She considered waking Kitty to make sure she would be up in time for the council, but figured her friend would probably appreciate a little more sleep since she was bound to wake up feeling a little hung-over after all the wine she had consumed the previous evening. Devin walked along the terraces above the loud-flowing Bruinen, where she met Frodo and Sam; and watched the pale, cool sun rise above the far mountains with them, and shine down, slanting through the thin silver mist; the dew upon the yellow leaves was glimmering, and the woven nets of gossamer twinkled on every bush. Sam walked beside them, saying nothing, but sniffing the air, and looking every now and again with wonder in his eyes at the great heights in the East. The snow was white upon their peaks.<br>On a seat cut in the stone beside a turn in the path they came upon Gandalf and Bilbo deep in talk.

"Hullo! Good morning!" said Bilbo. "Feel ready for the great council?"

"I feel ready for anything." Frodo answered. "But most of all I should like to go walking today and explore the valley. I should like to get into those pine-woods up there." He pointed away far up the side of Rivendell to the north.

"You may have your chance later." Gandalf said. "But we cannot make any plans yet. There is much to hear and decide today."

Suddenly as they were talking a single clear bell rang out.

"That is the warning bell of the Council of Elrond." Cried Gandalf. "Come along now! Both you and Bilbo are wanted. You, too, Miss Devin."

Frodo, Bilbo, and Devin followed the wizard quickly along the winding path back to the house; behind them, uninvited and for the moment forgotten, trotted Sam. Devin sent him a slight conspiratorial smile and held a finger to her lips. Sam nodded silently.  
>Gandalf led them to the porch where Frodo had found his friends the afternoon before. The light of the clear autumn morning was now glowing in the valley. The noise of bubbling waters came up from the foaming riverbed. Birds were singing, and a wholesome peace lay on the land. To Frodo his dangerous flight, and the rumors of the darkness growing in the world outside, already seemed only the memories of a troubled dream; but the faces that were turned to meet them as they entered were grave.<br>Elrond was there, and several others were seated in silence about him. Devin was surprised to see that Kitty had already beaten her there, though her friend did not seem too happy about it. She had her eyes squeezed shut and was massaging her forehead with her fingers in an attempt to relieve her hangover headache. Elrond drew Frodo to a seat by his side, and presented him to the company, saying:

"Here, my friends, is the hobbit, Frodo son of Drogo. Few have come hither through greater peril or on an errand more urgent." He then pointed out and named those present whom Frodo had not met before while Bilbo, Gandalf, and Devin took the remaining seats between Frodo and Kitty. First Elrond introduced Glóin's son Gimli. There were also several other counselors of Elrond's household, of whom Erestor was the chief; and with him was Galdor, an Elf from the Grey Havens who had come on an errand from Círdan the Shipwright. Legolas was there as a messenger from his father, Thranduil, the King of the Elves of Northern Mirkwood. And seated a little apart was a tall man with a handsome and noble face, blue-eyed with light-brown hair, proud and stern of glance.  
>He was cloaked and booted as if for a journey on horseback; and indeed though his garments were rich, and his cloak was lined with fur, they were stained with long travel. He had a collar of silver in which a single white stone was set; his locks were shorn about his shoulders. On a baldric he wore a great horn tipped with silver that now was laid upon his knees. He gazed at Frodo and Bilbo with sudden wonder.<p>

"Here," said Elrond, turning to Gandalf, "is Boromir, a man from the South. He arrived in the grey morning, and seeks for counsel. I have bidden him to be present, for here his questions will be answered." Devin knew even before Elrond had spoken who this man must be, but she could have sworn his description in the book had been a little different.

"Hey," Kitty whispered, leaning close, "is it just me, or does that guy look really familiar?"

Not all that was spoken and debated in the Council need be mentioned. Much of what was said was already known to the two girls, particularly Devin, who remembered the original story in more detail than her friend; but it served as a good refresher course for them both. Much was said of events in the world outside, especially in the South, and the wide lands east of the Mountains. Of these things Frodo had already heard many rumors; but the tale of Glóin was new to him, and when the dwarf spoke he listened attentively. It appeared that amid the splendor of their works of hand the hearts of the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain were troubled.

"It is now many years ago," said Glóin, "that a shadow of disquiet fell upon our people. Whence it came we did not at first perceive. Words began to be whispered in secret: it was said that we were hemmed in a narrow place, and greater wealth an splendor would be found in a wider world. Some spoke of Moria: the mighty works of our fathers that are called in our own tongue Khazad-dûm; and they declared that now at last we had the power and numbers to return." Glóin sighed. "Moria! Moria! Wonder of the Northern world! Too deep we delved there, and woke the nameless fear. Long have its vast mansions lain empty since the children of Durin fled. But now we spoke of it again with longing, and yet with dread; for no dwarf has dared to pass the doors of Khazad-dûm for many lives of kings, save Thrór only, and he perished. At last, however, Balin listened to the whispers, and resolved to go; and though Dáin did not give leave willingly, he took with him Ori and Óin and many of our folk, and they went away south.  
>"That was nigh on thirty years ago. For a while we had news and it seemed good: messages reported that Moria had been entered and a great work begun there. Then there was silence, and no word has ever come from Moria since.<br>"Then, about a year ago a messenger came to Dáin, but not from Moria—from Mordor: a horseman in the night who called Dáin to his gate. The Lord Sauron the Great, so he said, wished for our friendship. Rings he would give for it, such as he gave of old. And he asked urgently concerning _hobbits_, of what kind they were, and where they dwelt. 'For Sauron knows,' said he, 'That one of these was known to you on a time.'  
>"At this we were greatly troubled, and we gave no answer. And then his fell voice was lowered, and he would have sweetened it if he could. 'As a small token only of your friendship Sauron asks this,' he said: 'that you should find this thief,' such was his word, 'and get from him, willing or no, a little ring, the least of rings, that once he stole. It is but a trifle that Sauron fancies, and an earnest of your good will. Find it, and three rings that the dwarf-sires possessed of old shall be returned to you, and the realm of Moria shall be yours forever. Find only news of the thief, whether he still lives and where, and you shall have great reward and lasting friendship from the Lord. Refuse, and things will not seem so well. Do you refuse?"<br>"At this his voice came like a hiss of snakes, and all who stood by shuddered; but Dáin said: 'I say neither yea nor nay. I must consider this message and what it means under its fair cloak.'  
>" 'Consider well, but not too long,' said he.<br>" 'The time of my thought is my own to spend,' answered Dáin.  
>" 'For the present,' said he, and rode into the darkness.<br>"Heavy have the hearts of our chieftains been since that night. We needed not the fell voice of the messenger to warn us that his words held both menace and deceit; for we knew already that the power that has re-entered Mordor has not changed, and ever it betrayed us of old. Twice the messenger has returned, and has gone unanswered. The third and last time, so he says, is soon to come, before the ending of the year.  
>"And so I have been sent at last by Dáin to warn Bilbo that he is sought by the Enemy, and to learn, if may be, why he desires this ring, this least of rings. Also we crave the advice of Elrond. For the Shadow grows and draws nearer. We discover that messengers have come also to King Brand in Dale, and that he is afraid. We fear that he may yield. Already war is gathering on his eastern borders. If we make no answer, the Enemy may move Men of his rule to assail King Brand, and Dáin also."<p>

"You have done well to come." Said Elrond. "You will hear today all that you need in order to understand the purposes of the Enemy. There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it. But you do not stand alone. You will learn that your trouble is but part of the trouble of all the western world. The Ring! What shall we do with the Ring, the least of rings, the trifle that Sauron fancies? That is the doom that we must deem.  
>"That is the purpose for which you are called hither. Called, I say, though I have not called you to me, strangers from distant lands. You have come and are here met, in this very nick of time, by chance as it may seem. Yet it is not so." Elrond's keen eyes rested briefly on Devin and Kitty. "Believe rather that it is so ordered that we, who sit here, and none others, must now find counsel for the peril of the world. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite, or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom. Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."<p>

Devin furrowed her brow slightly in confusion while she watched Frodo quietly step forward and place the ring on a stone pedestal. Wait a minute, weren't they supposed to talk more about the background story and finally explain how the Ring came to be in Frodo's hands? There had been at least two or three pages worth of that in the book. Did this mean everyone else had already been briefed before their arrival?  
>"So it is true." Boromir mumbled lowly to himself. All were silent as they stared at the small golden ring until Boromir stood from his seat. "In a dream I saw the eastern sky grow dark and there was a growing thunder, but in the West a pale light lingered, and out of it I heard a voice, remote but clear, crying:<br>_Seek for the Sword that was broken:  
>In Imaldris it dwells;<br>There shall be counsels taken  
>Stronger than Morgul-spells.<br>There shall be shown a token  
>That Doom is near at hand,<br>For Isildur's Bane shall waken,  
>And the Halfling forth shall stand.<em>

Is then the doom of Minas Tirith come at last?"

"The words were not _the doom of Minas Tirith_." Devin said when no one else spoke. "But doom and great deeds are indeed at hand, for Isildur's Bane is found."

"And who are you, and what have you to do with Minas Tirith?" asked Boromir, looking at her with skepticism. "Why does a mere girl sit at the Council of Elrond?"

"Oh, hell no." Kitty muttered tartly as both girls tensed and stared daggers at him for the sexist remark. "You'd better respect her if you want to keep your teeth."

"Kitty." Devin said lowly, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Go easy on him. He doesn't know who he's messing with."

"This 'mere girl' is Devin Gladwin, and her surly companion is Kitty Larson. There is more to them than meets the eye. They are both Readers from another world who possess much knowledge of the history and legends of our own. They are also capable of reading the flow of future events." Elrond said, surprising the girls and astonishing the rest of those gathered. All present, even Frodo and Aragorn, looked at them with wonder; and Devin found herself under the watchful stare of Legolas' keen grey eyes again.

"So much for keeping it a secret." Kitty whispered, echoing Devin's own thoughts.

"Another world? Such a thing is not possible." Boromir said, reluctant to believe without further evidence. "What proof have you to verify their claims?"

Elrond glanced at the girls. The girls looked at each other for a moment, silently arguing over who was going to take it from there. The batteries on their phones were all but dead, and they weren't about to waste them on a chauvinistic jerk.

"I myself have seen proofs of their otherworldliness." Aragorn spoke up in their defense. "They brought with them from their world several items, though it is my understanding that their power is now fading, capable of amazing things without the use of any magic: thin black boxes that could shine light in the darkness and produce strange sounds; a small metal box called a lighter that allows one to hold a flame in hand without match or torch; a can of mist capable of shielding the wearer even from the incorrigible midges of the Midgewater Marshes; and another can containing a substance called hairspray was used by Miss Devin in concert with the lighter to produce a spray of flames."

"And what would a Ranger know of this matter? Has it not occurred to you that they could have been tricks?" Boromir asked.

"He isn't just any old ordinary Ranger." Kitty said, standing. "This is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. He's Isildur's heir. So, how about showing a little respect?"

"He is Isildur's heir?" asked Boromir with doubt in his eyes as he looked again at Aragorn.

"And heir to the throne of Gondor." Kitty added.

"Please, sit down, Kitty." Aragorn said calmly as Devin tugged on her friend's sleeve, silently bidding her to do the same before a fight broke out between them.

"Gondor has no king." Boromir told Kitty. "Gondor needs no king." He added, shooting a look at Aragorn. Devin sighed, stood up, and crossed the porch to Boromir. She motined for him to lean down so she could and whisper into his ear. The others, who could not hear her, (the exception being a few of the Elves) were amazed at the look of wide-eyed astonishment on the proud man's face as he stepped back and stared at Devin with a newfound wonder. Even in Gondor very few knew of what she had just spoken. Kitty smirked at the priceless expression of bewilderment on Boromir's face as Devin quietly returned to her seat with dignity.

"Dude, what did you say?" Kitty whispered curiously.

"Nothing major." Devin whispered back. "Just something he already knows but that I couldn't possibly have, unless Elrond was telling the truth: Faramir saw the dream three times before he ever did, even though Boromir was the one their father wanted to come, and the reason for this is because his younger brother strongly shares the strength of his Númenorean ancestors. "

"Oh, yeah. Trolling fictional characters like a boss." Kitty whispered, grinning, while they bumped fists as inconspicuously as possible.

"Isildur's Bane is found, you say." Said Boromir thoughtfully as he took his seat again. "I have seen a bright ring in the Halfling's hand; but Isildur perished ere this age of the world began, they say. How do the Wise know that this ring is his? And how has it passed down the years, until it is brought hither by so strange a messenger?"

"That shall be told." Said Elrond.

"But not yet, I beg, Master!" said Bilbo. "Already the Sun is climbing to noon, and I feel the need of something to strengthen me."

"I had not named you." Elrond said, smiling. "But I do so now. Come! Tell us your tale. And if you have not yet cast your story into verse, you may tell it in plain words. The briefer, the sooner you shall be refreshed."

To some there Bilbo's tale was wholly new, and they listened with amazement while the old hobbit, actually not at all displeased, recounted his adventure with Gollum, at full length. He did not omit a single riddle. He would have given also an account of his party and disappearance from the Shire, if he had been allowed; but Elrond raised his hand.

"Well told, my friend," he said, "but that is enough at this time. For the moment it suffices to know that the Ring passed to Frodo, your heir. Let him now speak!"

Then, less willingly than Bilbo, Frodo told of all his dealings with the Ring from the day that it passed into his keeping. Every step of his journey from Hobbiton to the Ford of Bruinen was questioned and considered, and everything that he could recall concerning the Black Riders was examined. At last he sat down again.

"Not bad." Bilbo said to him. "You would have made a good story of it, if they hadn't kept on interrupting. I tried to make a few notes, but we shall have to go over it all again together some time, if I am to write it up. There are whole chapters of stuff before you ever got here!"

"Yes, it made quite a long tale." Answered Frodo. "But the story still does not seem complete to me. I still want to know a good deal, especially about Gandalf." Galdor of the Havens, who sat near by, overheard him.

"You speak for me also." He cried, and turning to Elrond he said: "The Wise may have good reason to believe that the Halfling's trove is indeed the Great Ring of long debate, unlikely though it may seem to those who know less. But may we not hear the proofs? And I would ask this also. What of Saruman? He is learned in the lore of the Rings, yet he is not among us. What is his counsel—if he knows the things that we have heard?"

"The questions that you ask, Galdor, are bound together." Said Elrond. "I had not overlooked them, and they shall be answered. But these things it is the part of Gandalf to make clear; and I call upon him last, for it is the place of honor, and in all this matter he has been the chief."

"Some, Galdor," said Gandalf, "would think the tidings of Glóin, and the pursuit of Frodo, proof enough that the Halfling's trove is a thing of great worth to the Enemy. Yet it is a ring. What then? The Nine the Nazgûl keep. The Seven are taken or destroyed." At this Glóin stirred but did not speak. "The Three we know of. What then is this but the one he desires so much?  
>"There is indeed a wide waste of time between the River and the Mountain, the loss and the finding. But the gap in the knowledge of the Wise has been filled at last. Yet too slowly. For the Enemy has been close behind, closer even than I feared. And well is it that not until this year, this very summer, as it seems, did he learn the full truth.<br>"Some here will remember that many years ago I myself dared to pass the doors of the Necromancer in Dol Guldur, and secretly explored his ways, and found thus that our fears were true: he was none other than Sauron, our Enemy of old, at length taking shape and power again. Some, too, will remember also that Saruman dissuaded us from open deeds against him, and for long we watched him only. Yet at last, as his shadow grew, Saruman yielded, and the Council put forth its strength and drove the evil out of Mirkwood—and that was in the very year of the finding of this Ring: a strange chance, if chance it was.  
>"But we were too late, as Elrond foresaw. Sauron also had watched us, and had long prepared against our stroke, governing Mordor from afar through Minas Morgul, where his Nine servants dwelt, until all was ready. Then he gave way before us, but only feigned to flee, and soon after came to the Dark Tower and openly declared himself. Then for the last time the Council met; for now we learned that he was seeking ever more eagerly for the One. We feared then that he had some news of it that we knew nothing of. But Saruman said nay, and repeated what he had said to us before: that the One would never again be found in Middle Earth.<br>" 'At the worst,' said he, 'our Enemy knows that we have it not, and that it is still lost. But what was lost may yet be found, he thinks. Fear not! His hope will cheat him. Have I not earnestly studied this matter? Into Anduin the Great it fell; and long ago, while Sauron slept, it was rolled down the River to the Sea. There let it lie until the End.' "

Gandalf fell silent, gazing eastward from the porch to the far peaks of the Misty Mountains, at whose great roots the peril of the world had so long lain hidden. He sighed.

"There I was at fault." he said. "I was lulled by the words of Saruman the Wise; but I should have sought the truth sooner, and out peril would now be less."

"We were all at fault," said Elrond, "and but for your vigilance the Darkness, maybe, would already be upon us. But say on!"

"From the first my heart misgave me, against all reason that I knew," said Gandalf, "and I desired to know how this thing came to Gollum, and how long he had possessed it. So I set a watch for him, guessing that he would ere long come forth from his darkness to seek for his treasure. He came, but he escaped and was not found. And then alas! I let the matter rest, watching and waiting only, as we have too often done.  
>"Time passed with many cares, until my doubts were reawakened again to sudden fear. Whence cams the hobbit's ring? What, if my fear was true, should be done with it? Those things I must decide. But I spoke yet of my dread to none, knowing the peril of an untimely whisper, if it went astray. In all the long wars with the Dark Tower treason has ever been our greatest foe.<br>"That was seventeen years ago. Soon I became aware that spies of many sorts, even beasts and birds, were gathered round the Shire, and my fear grew. I called for the help of the Dúnedain, and their watch was doubled; and I opened my heart to Aragorn, the heir of Isildur."

"And I," said Aragorn, "counseled that we should hunt for Gollum, too late though it may seem. And since it seemed fit that Isildur's heir should labor to repair Isildur's fault, I went with Gandalf on the long and hopeless search."

Then Gandalf told how they had explored the whole length of Wilderland, down even to the Mountains of Shadow and the fences of Mordor.

"There we had a rumor of him, and we guess that he dwelt there long in the dark hills; but we never found him, and at last I despaired. And then in my despair I thought again of a test that might make the finding of Gollum unneeded. The Ring itself might tell if it were the One. The memory of words at the Council came back to me: words of Saruman, half-heeded at the time. I heard them now clearly in my heart.  
>" 'The Nine, the Seven, and the Three,' he said, 'had each their proper gem. Not so the One. It was round and unadorned, as it were one of the lesser rings; but its maker set marks upon it that the skilled, maybe, could still see and read.'<br>"What those marks were he had not said. Who now would know? The maker. And Saruman? But great though his lore may be, it must have a source. What hand save Sauron's ever held this ring, ere it was lost? The hand of Isildur alone.  
>"With that thought, I forsook the chase and passed swiftly to Gondor. In former days the members of my order had been well received there, but Saruman most of all. Often he had been for long the guest of the Lords of the City. Less welcome did the Lord Denethor show me then than of old, and grudgingly he permitted me to search among his hoarded scrolls and books.<br>" 'If indeed you look only, as you say, for records of ancient days, and the beginnings of the City, read on!' he said. 'For me what was is less dark than what is to come, and that is my care. But unless you have more skill even than Saruman, who has studied here long, you will find naught that is not well known to me, who am master of the lore of this City.'  
>"So said Denethor. And yet there lie in his hoards many records that few now can read, even of the lore-masters, for their scripts and tongues have become dark to later med. And Boromir, there lies in Minas Tirith still, unread, I guess, by any save Saruman and myself since the kings failed, a scroll that Isildur made himself. For Isildur did not march away straight from the war in Mordor, as some have told the tale."<p>

"Some in the North, maybe," Boromir broke in. "All know in Gondor that he went first to Minas Arnor and dwelt a while with his nephew Meneldil, instructing him, before he committed to him rule of the South Kingdom. In that time he planted there the last sapling of the White Tree in memory of his brother."

"But in that time also he made the scroll," said Gandalf; 'and that is not remembered in Gondor, it would seem. For this scroll concerns the Ring, and thus wrote Isildur therein:

_The Great Ring shall go now to be an heirloom of the North Kingdom; but records of it shall be left in Gondor, where also dwell the heirs of Elendil, lest a time come when the memory of these great matters shall grow dim._

"And after these words Isildur described the Ring, such as he found it.

_It was hot when I first took it, hot as glede, and my hand was scorched, so that I doubt if ever again I shall be free of the pain if it. Yet even as I write it is cooled, and it seemeth to shrink, though it loseth neither its beauty nor its shape. Already the writing upon it, which at first was clear as red flame, fadeth and is now only barely to be read. It is fashioned in the Elven-script of Eregion, for they have no letters in Mordor for such subtle work; but the language is unknown to me. I deem it to be a tongue of the Black Land, since it is foul and uncouth. What evil it saith I do not know; but I trace here a copy of it lest it fade beyond recall. The Ring misseth, maybe, the heat of Sauron's hand, which was black and yet burned like fire, and so Gil-galad was destroyed; and maybe were the gold made hot again, the writing would be refreshed. But for my part I will risk no hurt to this thing: of all the works of Sauron the only fair. It is precious to me, though I buy it with great pain._


	12. Chapter 12

I own nothing but my OCs.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Previously:<strong>_

_It was hot when I first took it, hot as glede, and my hand was scorched, so that I doubt if ever again I shall be free of the pain if it. Yet even as I write it is cooled, and it seemeth to shrink, though it loseth neither its beauty nor its shape. Already the writing upon it, which at first was clear as red flame, fadeth and is now only barely to be read. It is fashioned in the Elven-script of Eregion, for they have no letters in Mordor for such subtle work; but the language is unknown to me. I deem it to be a tongue of the Black Land, since it is foul and uncouth. What evil it saith I do not know; but I trace here a copy of it lest it fade beyond recall. The Ring misseth, maybe, the heat of Sauron's hand, which was black and yet burned like fire, and so Gil-galad was destroyed; and maybe were the gold made hot again, the writing would be refreshed. But for my part I will risk no hurt to this thing: of all the works of Sauron the only fair. It is precious to me, though I buy it with great pain._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12: The Council of Elrond - Part 2<strong>

* * *

><p>"When I read these words," said Gandalf, "my quest was ended. For the traced writing was indeed as Isildur guessed, in the tongue of Mordor and the servants of the Tower. And what was said therein was already known. For in the day that Sauron first put on the One, Celebrimbor, maker of the Three, was aware of him, and from afar he heard him speak these words, and so his evil purposes were revealed.<br>"At once I took my leave of Denethor, but even as I went northwards, messages came to me out of Lórien that Aragorn had passed that way, and that he had found the creature called Gollum. Therefore I went first to meet him and hear his tale. Into what deadly perils he had gone alone I dared not guess."

"There is little need to tell of them." Said Aragorn. "If a man must needs walk in sight of the Black gate, or tread the deadly flowers of the Morgul Vale, then perils he will have. I, too, despaired at last, and I began my homeward journey. And then, by fortune, I came suddenly on what I sought: the marks of soft feet beside a muddy pool. But now the trail was fresh and swift, and it lead not to Mordor but away. Along the skirts of the Dead Marshes I followed it, and then I had him. Lurking by a stagnant mere, peering in the water as the dark eve fell, I caught him, Gollum. He was covered in green slime. He will never love me, I fear; for he bit me, and I was not gentle. Nothing more did I ever get from his mouth than the marks of his teeth. I deemed it the worst part of all my journey, the road back, watching him day and night, making him walk before me with a halter on his neck, gagged, until he was tamed by lack of drink and food, driving him ever towards Mirkwood. I brought him there at last and gave him to the Elves, for we had agreed that this should be done; and I was glad to be rid of his company, for my part I hope never to look upon him again; but Gandalf came and endured long speech with him."

Kitty raised an eyebrow. Dang. Gollum must be a real pain in the ass if Aragorn had preferred strolling around outside _Mordor_ to his company.

"Yes, long and weary," said Gandalf, "but not without profit. For one thing, the tale he told of his loss agreed with that which Bilbo has now told openly for the first time; but that mattered little, since I had already guessed it. But I learned then first that Gollum's ring came out of the Great River nigh to Gladden Fields. And I learned also that he had possessed it long. Many lives of his small kind. The power of the ring had lengthened his years far beyond their span; but that power only the Great Rings wield.  
>"And if that is not proof enough, Galdor, there is the other test I spoke of. Upon this very ring which you see here, round and unadorned, the letters that Isildur reported my still be read, if one has the strength of will to set the golden ring in the fire a while. That I have done, and this I have read:<p>

_Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul!_

The change in the wizard's voice was astounding. Suddenly it became menacing, powerful, harsh as stone. A shadow seemed to pass over the high sun, and the porch for a moment grew dark. All trembled, and the Elves stopped their ears. Kitty felt as though a dementor had tried to give her a peck on the cheek or something.

"Never before has any voice dared to utter words of that tongue in Imladris, Gandalf the Grey." Elrond said as the shadow passed and the company breathed once more.

"And let us hope that none will ever speak it here again." Answered Gandalf. "Nonetheless, I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond. For if that tongue is not soon to be heard in every corner of the West, then let all put doubt aside that this thing is indeed what the Wise have declared: the treasure of the Enemy, fraught with all his malice; and in it lies a great part of his strength of old. Out of the Black Years come the words that the smiths of Eregion heard, and knew that they had been betrayed:

_One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,  
>One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.<em>

"Know also, my friends, that I learned more yet from Gollum. He was loth to speak and his tale was unclear, but it is beyond all doubt that he went to Mordor, and there all that he knew was forced from him. Thus the Enemy knows that the One is found, that it was long in the Shire; and since his servants have pursued it almost to our door, he soon will know, already he may know, even as I speak, that we have it here."

All sat silent for a while, until at length Boromir spoke.

"He is a small thing, you say, this Gollum? Small but great in mischief. What became of him? To what doom did you put him?"

"He is in prison, but no worse." Said Aragorn. "He had suffered much. There is no doubt that he was tormented, and the fear of Sauron lies black on his heart. Still I for one am glad that he is safely kept by the watchful Elves of Mirkwood. His malice is great and gives him strength hardly to be believed in one so lean and withered. He could work much mischief still, if he were free. And I do not doubt that he was allowed to leave Mordor on some evil errand."

"Alas!" cried Legolas, and in his fair elvish face there was great distress. "The tidings that I was sent to bring must now be told. They are not good, but only here have I learned how evil they may seem to this company. Sméagol, who is now called Gollum, has escaped."

"Escaped?" cried Aragorn. "That is ill news indeed. We shall all rue it bitterly, I fear. How came the folk of Thranduil to fail in their trust?"

"Not through lack of watchfulness," said Legolas; "but perhaps through over-kindliness. And fear that the prisoner had aid from others, and that more is known of our doings than we could wish. We guarded this creature day and night, at Gandalf's bidding, much though we wearied of the task. But Gandalf bade us hope still for his cure, and we had not the heart to keep him ever in dungeons under the earth, where he would fall back into his old black thoughts."

"You were less tender to me." Said Glóin with a flash of his eyes, as old memories were stirred of his imprisonment in the deep places of the Elven-king's halls.

"Now come!" said Gandalf. "Pray do not interrupt, my good Glóin. That was a regrettable misunderstanding, long set right. If all the grievances that stand between Elves and Dwarves are to be brought up here, we may as well abandon this Council."

Glóin rose and bowed, and Legolas continued.

"In the days of fair weather we led Gollum through the woods; and there was a high tree standing alone far from the others which he liked to climb. Often we let him mount up to the highest branches, until he felt the free wind; but we set a guard at the tree's foot. One day he refused to come down, and the guards had no mind to climb up after him: he had learned the trick of clinging to boughs with his feet as well as with his hands; so they sat by the tree far into the night.  
>"It was that very night of summer, yet moonless and starless, that Orcs came on us at unawares. We drove them off after some time; they were many and fierce, but they came from over the mountains, and were unused to the woods. When the battle was over, we found that Gollum was gone, and his guards were slain or taken. It then seemed plain to us that the attack had been made for his rescue, and that he knew of it beforehand. How that was contrived we cannot guess; but Gollum is cunning, and the spies of the Enemy are many. The dark things that were driven out in the year of the Dragon's fall have returned in greater numbers, and Mirkwood is again an evil place, save where our realm is maintained.<br>"We have failed to recapture Gollum. We came upon his trail and those of many Orcs, and it plunged deep into the forest, going south. But ere long it escaped our skill, and we dared not continue our hunt; for we were drawing nigh to Dol Goldur, and that is still a very evil place; we do not go that way."

"Well, well, he is gone." Said Gandalf. "We have no time to seek for him again. He must do what he will. But he may play a part yet that neither he nor Sauron has foreseen.  
>"And now I will answer Galdor's other questions. What of Saruman? What are his counsels to us in this need? This tale I must tell in full, for only Elrond had heard it yet, and that in brief; but it bear on all that we resolve. It is the last chapter in the tale of the Ring, so far as it has yet gone."<p>

The wizard went on to tell of how he came to discover Saruman's treachery after being directed to him by fellow wizard Radagast the Brown, and how upon refusing to join the corrupted White Wizard, Saruman kept him prisoner on the pinnacle of Orthanc. There he saw the once green and fair valley around the tower was now filled with pits and forges. Wolves and orcs were housed in Isengard, for Saruman was mustering a great force of his own account, in rivalry of Sauron.

"At first I feared, as Saruman no doubt intended, that Radagast had also fallen." Said Gandalf. "Yet I had caught no hint of anything wrong in his voice or in his eye at our meeting. If I had, I should never have gone to Isengard, or I should have gone more warily. So Saruman guessed, and he concealed his mind and deceived his messenger. It would have been useless in any case to try and win over the honest Radagast to treachery. He sought me in good faith and so persuaded me.  
>"That was the undoing of Saruman's plot. For Radagast knew no reason why he should not do as I asked; and he rode away towards Mirkwood where he had many friends of old. And the Eagles of the Mountains went far and wide, and they saw many things: the gathering of wolves and the mustering of Orcs; and the Nine Riders going hither and thither in the lands; and they heard news of the escape of Gollum. And they sent a messenger to bring these tidings to me.<br>"So it was that when summer waned, there came a night of moon, and Gwaihir the Windlord, swiftest of the Great Eagles, came unlooked-for to Orthanc; and he found me standing on the pinnacle. Then I spoke to him and he bore me away, before Saruman was aware. I was far from Isengard, ere the wolves and orcs issued from the gate to pursue me.  
>" 'How far can you bear me?' I said to Gwaihir.<br>" 'Many leagues,' said he, 'but not to the ends of the earth. I was sent to bear tidings not burdens.'  
>" 'The I must have a steed on land,' I said, 'and a steed surpassingly swift, for I have never had such a need of haste before.'<br>" 'Then I shall bear you to Edoras, where the Lord of Rohan sits in his halls,' he said; 'for that is not very far off.' And I was glad, for in the Riddermark of Rohan the Rohirrim, the Horse-lords, dwell, and there are no horses like those that are bred in that great vale between the Misty Mountains and the White.  
>" 'Are the men of Rohan still to be trusted, do you think?' I said to Gwaihir, for the treason of Saruman had shaken my faith.<br>" 'They pay a tribute of horses,' he answered, 'and send many yearly to Mordor, or so it is said; but they are not yet under the yoke. But if Saruman has become evil, as you say, then their doom cannot be long delayed.'

"He set me down in the land of Rohan ere dawn; and now I have lengthened my tale over long. The rest must be more brief. In Rohan I found evil already at work: the lies of Saruman; and the king of the land would not listen to my warnings. He bade me take a horse and be gone; and I chose one much to my liking, but little to his. I took the best horse in his land, and I have never seen the like of him."

Kitty smirked. She liked Gandalf's style. If the king was going to get all upset, he should have been more specific.

"Then he must be a noble beast indeed," said Aragorn; "and it grieves me more than many tidings that might seem worse to learn that Sauron levies such tribute. It was not so when last I was in that land."  
>"Nor is it now, I will swear." Said Boromir.<p>

"Been there more recently, have you?" Kitty asked.

"No." said Boromir. "But it is a lie that comes from the Enemy. I know the Men of Rohan, true and valiant, our allies, dwelling still in the lands that we gave them long ago."

"The shadow of Mordor lies on distant lands." Answered Aragorn. "Saruman has fallen under it. Rohan is beset. Who knows what you will find there, if ever you return?"

"They may not have a choice." Devin said regretfully. It sounded like the poisoning of the king's mind was already underway.

"Not this at least," said Boromir, "that they will buy their lives with horses. They love their horses next to their kin. And not without reason, for the horses of the Riddermark come from the fields of the North, far from the Shadow, and their race, as that of their masters, is descended from the free days of old."

"True indeed!" said Gandalf. "And there is one among them that might have been foaled in the morning of the world. The horses of the Nine cannot vie with him; tireless, swift as the flowing wind. Shadowfax they called him. By day his coat glistens like silver; and by night it is like a shade, and he passes unseen. Light is his footfall! Never before had any man mounted him, but I took him and tamed him, and so speedily he bore me that I reached the Shire when Frodo was on the Barrow-downs, though I set out from Rohan only when he set out from Hobbit."

Kitty sighed wistfully, looking as though she had fallen in love with the horse just hearing a bout it. Devin smiled knowingly at her friend.

"But fear grew in me as I rode." Gandalf continued with a curios glance at the sighing girl. "Ever as I came north I heard tidings of the Riders, and though I gained on them day by day, they were ever before me. They had divided their forces, I learned: some remained on the eastern borders, not far from the Greenway, and some invaded the Shire from the south. I came to Hobbiton and Frodo had gone; but I had words with old Gamgee. Many words and few to the point. He had much to say about the shortcomings of the new owners of Bag End. But amidst his talk I gathered that Frodo had left Hobbiton less than a week before, and that a black horseman had come to the Hill the same evening. Then I rode on in fear. I came to Buckland and found it in an uproar, as busy as a hive of ants that has been stirred with a stick. I came to the house at Crickhollow, and it was broken open and empty; but on the threshold there lay a cloak that had been Frodo's. Then for a while hope left me, and I did not wait to gather news, or I might have been comforted; but I rode on the trail of the Riders. It was hard to follow, for it went many ways, and I was at a loss. But it seemed to me that one or two had ridden towards Bree; and that way I went, for I thought of words that might be said to the innkeeper.  
>" 'Butterbur they call him.' thought I. 'If this delay is his fault, I well melt all the butter in him. I will roast the old fool over a slow fire.' He expected no less, and when he saw my face he fell down flat and began to melt on the spot."<p>

"What did you do to him?" cried Frodo in alarm. "He was really very kind to us and did all that he could."

Gandalf laughed. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I did not bite, and I barked very little. So overjoyed was I by the news that I got out of him, when he stopped quaking, that I embraced the old fellow. How it happened I could not then guess, but I learned that you had been in Bree the night before, and had gone off that morning with Strider.  
>" 'Strider!' I cried, shouting for joy.<br>" 'Yes, sir, I am afraid so, sir.' Said Butterbur, mistaking me. 'He got at them, in spite of all that I could do, and they took up with him. They behaved very queer all the time they were here: willful, you might say.'  
>"Ass! Fool! Thrice worthy and beloved Barliman!' said I. 'It's the best news I have had since Midsummer: it's worth a gold piece at least. May your beer be laid under an enchantment of surpassing excellence for seven years!' said I. 'Now I can take a night's rest, the first since I have forgotten when.'<p>

"So I stayed there that night, wondering much what had become of the Riders; for only of two had there yet been any news in Bree, it seemed. But in the night we heard more. Five at least came from the west, and they threw down the gates and passed through Bree like a howling wind; and the Bree-folk are still shivering and expecting the end of the world. I got up before dawn and went after them.  
>"I do not know, but it seems clear to me that this is what happened. Their Captain remained in secret away south of Bree, while two rode ahead through the village, and four more invaded the Shire. But when these were foiled in Bree and at Crickhollow, they returned to their Captain with tidings, and so left the Road unguarded for awhile, except by their spies. The Captain then sent some eastward straight across the country, and he himself with the rest rode along the Road in great wrath.<br>"I galloped to Weathertop like a gale, and I reached it before sundown on my second day from Bree—and they felt the coming of my anger and they dared not face it while the Sun was in the sky. But they closed round at night, and I was besieged on the hill-top, in the old ring of Amon Sûl. I was hard put to it indeed: such light and flame cannot have been seen on Weathertop since the war beacons of old.  
>"At sunrise I escaped and fled towards the north. I could not hope to do more. It was impossible to find you, Frodo, in the wilderness, and it would have been folly to try with all the Nine at my heels. So I had to trust to Aragorn. But I hoped to draw some of them off, and yet reach Rivendell ahead of you and send out help. Four Riders did indeed follow me, but they turned back after a while and made for the Ford, it seems. That helped a little, for there were only five, not nine, when your camp was attacked.<br>"I reached here at last by a long hard road, up the Hoarwell and through the Ettenmoors, and down from the north. It took me nearly fourteen days from Weathertop, for I could not ride among the rocks of the troll-fells, and Shadowfax departed. I sent him back to his master; but a great friendship has grown between us, and if I have need he will come at my call. But so it was that I came to Rivendell only three days before the Ring, and news of its peril had already been brought here—which proved well indeed.  
>"And that Frodo, is the end of my account. May Elrond and the others forgive the length of it. But such a thing has not happened before, that Gandalf broke tryst and did not come when he promised. An account to the Ring-bearer of so strange an event was required, I think.<br>"Well, the Tale is now told from first to last. Here we all are, and here is the Ring. But we have not yet come any nearer to our purpose. What shall we do with it?"

There was a silence. Kitty nudged Devin in the arm and leaned close to whisper in her ear.

"Hey, can we hurry things along here? Because this is dragging on a lot longer than I thought it would. I don't know about you, but I'm starving!"

Devin glanced around at the thoughtful faces of the others gathered there. If memory served all that was left was for them to argue over whether or not they should simply hide or destroy the ring, and since the end result was what was most important, she considered giving into the temptation to skip most of the roundabout talk this time, but Boromir beat her to it.

"It is a gift." Boromir said, breaking the silence.

" 'Scuse me?" Kitty asked, staring at Boromir like he must have been dropped on the head as an infant.

"It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor." Boromir said more boldly. "Why not use this ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of _our_ people are your lands kept safe!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Devin noticed Aragorn sat back in his chair and shook his head slightly in disbelief as he stared at Boromir in disapproval. Though he said nothing aloud, she knew he must be recalling all his people, the Rangers of the North, and many others had done in secret to protect the people and safety of the land from Sauron's ever spreading evil beyond the borders of Gondor, as it had been outlined in the book. Boromir was proud, and it was true the people of Gondor had contributed much, but they were not the only ones still fighting the good fight.

"Give Gondor the weapon of the Enemy." Boromir said. "Let us use it against him."

"Are you willfully deaf?" Kitty asked incredulously, frowning at him. "Didn't you hear Gandalf? That thing is pure evil—it's Satan in a freaking Sunday hat!"

"You cannot wield it." Devin added a bit more calmly, speaking in a loud and clear voice so that all could hear, in case others were still harboring similar thoughts to Boromir's. "The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

"That is easy and simple for you to say." Boromir said sternly, turning on her. "It is not your world that is in danger!"

"No, it's not. Not at the moment." Devin answered honestly with a grim expression on her face. "But it may be in the future, if you should fail to stop Sauron's evil here. If we could come through to this world from our side, then I shudder to think what might also be able to come through from yours. There is no magic in our world. The people of our would be like lambs to the slaughter in the face of such evil; or worse, in ignorance of the situation, some may unleash weapons of mass destruction in a desperate attempt to stop a force which they do not understand. They could decide to go nuclear. If that happens, our world will be destroyed and laid waste in a matter of days. Entire continents could be wiped out, the sky would become filled with dust and darkened with ash and radiation. An endless winter, the likes of which has never been seen in Middle Earth would fall upon us. The very Earth would be poisoned for decades: our entire world could die. Enslavement or death awaits us if your world falls. So if you think I speak lightly, then think again!"

"Dude…" Kitty said quietly, staring at her friend with wide eyes. "You're starting to scare even me." She hadn't even thought about that. Apparently Devin's imagine could be even more frightening than her own sometimes…

"Devin is right. We cannot use it." Gandalf said after another moment of heavy silence while the others all stared at the petite girl, stunned by the atrocities she had just described. In some ways, it seemed their world might be in even more danger than their own should Sauron prevail. Enslavement, or complete and total annihilation: it was hard to say which was worse.

"You have only one choice." Elrond said, standing. "The Ring must be destroyed." Only then would Sauron suffer complete and utter defeat. He would never die while the Ring remained.

"What are we waiting for?" Gimli asked, standing up with axe in hand. Before Elrond or the girls could warn him against such a futile action, the dwarf let out a mighty bellow and swung the blade of his axe down upon the Ring with such force that it shattered and exploded upon impact with the evil object and sent the hardy dwarf reeling backwards.

"Holy—!" Kitty cried in alarm, ducking just in time to avoid being lobotomized by one of the flying splinters of axe-blade.

"You okay?" Devin asked, concerned.

"Yeah… But let's not try that again any time soon…" Kitty suggested, chagrined. That had been way too close for comfort.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Glóin, by any craft that we hear possess." Elrond informed the stunned dwarf. "The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor, and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you… must do this." He said gravely, glancing at the faces of all assembled before him.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor." Said Boromir grimly. "Its Black Gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. The Great Eye is ever-watchful. It is a barren wasteland… riddled with fire, and ash, and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten-thousand men could you do this. It is folly."

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas asked, standing. "The Ring must be destroyed."

"And I suppose you think you are the one to do it!" Gimli said accusingly.

"And if we fail, what then?" What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" Boromir demanded, also standing.

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli shouted as he stood. Aragorn let out a sigh as the most of the others present began to join the argument. "Never trust and Elf!" Gimli shouted above the other's heated voices. Gandalf shook his head and sighed as well.

"Are they always this petty?" Kitty asked. "The fate of two worlds are in their hands, and they're arguing over semantics!"

"Very well, very well, Master Elrond!" Bilbo said suddenly before things had a chance to escalate any further. "Say no more! It is plain enough what you are pointing at. Bilbo the silly hobbit started this affair, and Bilbo had better finish it or himself. I was very comfortable here, and getting on with my book. If you want to know, I am just writing an ending for it. I had thought of putting: _and he lived happily ever afterwards to the end of his days._ It is a good ending, and none the worse for having been used before. Now I shall have to alter that: it does not look like coming true; and anyway there will evidently have to be several more chapters, if I live to write them. It is a frightful nuisance. When ought I to start?"

Boromir looked in surprise and disbelief at Bilbo, thinking surely what he had just said must have been in jest, but the laughter died on his lips when he saw that all the others regarded the old hobbit with grave respect. Only Glóin smiled, but his smile came from old memories.

"Of course, my dear Bilbo." Said Gandalf. "If you had really started this affair, you might be expected to finish it. But you know well enough now that _starting_ is too great a claim for any, and that only a small part is played in great deeds by any hero. You need not bow! Though the word was meant, and we do not doubt that under jest you are making a valiant offer. But one beyond your strength, Bilbo. You cannot take this thing back. It has passed on. If you need my advice any longer, I should say that your part is ended, unless as a recorder. Finish your book, and leave the ending unaltered! There is still hope for it. But get ready to write a sequel, when they come back."

Bilbo laughed. "I have never known you give me pleasant advice before." he said. "As all your unpleasant advice has been good, I wonder if this advice is not bad. Still I don't suppose I have the strength or luck left to deal with the Ring. It has grown, and I have not. But tell me: what do you mean by _they_?"

"The messengers who are sent with the Ring."

"Exactly! And who are they to be? That seems to me what this Council has to decide, and all that it has to decide. Elves may thrive on speech alone, and Dwarves endure great weariness; but I am only an old hobbit, and I miss my meal at noon. Can't you think of some names now? Or put it off till after dinner?"

No one answered. The noon-bell rang. Still no one spoke. Devin and Kitty knew who it had to be, but Devin had already cautioned her friend not to say anything the previous evening. She felt that if they had to go into such danger and deal with the slow poisoning of that treacherous Ring, it should be by the company's own choice. She felt it was an important difference to their resolve between choosing a difficult path for themselves of their own free will, or being made to feel as though someone else had forced them into it. It may not seem like much in the beginning; but when things were hard, it could make all the difference. And she had faith Frodo would step up to the mat when push came to shove without any prodding from them.

Frodo glanced at all the faces, but they were not turned to him. All the Council, aside from the two girls, who seemed to be patiently waiting for something, sat with downcast eyes, as if in deep thought. A great dread fell on him, as if he was awaiting the pronouncement of some doom that he had long foreseen and vainly hoped might after all never be spoken. An overwhelming longing to rest and remain at peace by Bilbo's side in Rivendell filled all his heart. At last with an effort he spoke, and wondered to hear his own words, as if some other will was using his small voice.

"I will take the Ring," he said, "though I do not know the way." The two girls were smiling softly at him, knowing the courage it must have taken and the hard journey he would have ahead of him. Gandalf closed his eyes briefly before turning with the others to raise their heads and look at the young hobbit. If at all possible, he had been hoping to spare Frodo as well from the burden of continuing to carry the Ring. Elrond raised his eyes and looked at him, and Frodo felt his heart pierced by the sudden keenness of the glance.

"If I understand aright what I have heard," he said, with a brief flicker of his eyes to the two girls and back, "I think that this task is appointed for you, Frodo; and that if you do not find a way, no one will. This is the hour of the Shire-folk, when they arise from their quiet fields to shake the towers and counsels of the great. Who of all the Wise could have foreseen it? Or, if they are wise, why should they expect to know it, until the hour has struck?  
>"But this is a heavy burden. So heavy that none could lay it on another. I do not lay it on you. But if you take it freely, I will say that your choice is right; and though all the mighty elf-friends of old, Hador, and Húrin, and Túrin, and Beren himself were assembled together, your seat should be among them."<p>

"And I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins." Gandalf said. "For as long as it is yours to bear."

"You have my sword." Aragorn said, standing so that he might cross the porch and kneel before the brave little hobbit.

"And you have my bow." Legolas said, coming forward.

"And my axe." Gimli said, also stepping forward to join the group. The elf-prince looked less than thrilled, and the dwarf shot him a look that said 'deal with it'.

"You carry the fates of us all, little one." Boromir said. "If this is indeed the will of the Council… then Gondor will see it done."

"Hey!" Sam shouted abruptly as he suddenly sprang from his hiding place and ran over to stand beside Frodo, unable to contain himself any longer. "Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me." He insisted stubbornly, crossing his arms.

"No indeed!" said Elrond with a smile. "It is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret Council and you are not."

"Oi! We're coming, too!" Merry cried out as he and Pippin jumped out from behind two columns, startling the elf-lord, who appeared to be incredibly taken aback to find that his security had been breached by not just one, but _three_ hobbits. He had spotted Sam early on from his seat, but he had not been aware of these other two mischief makers. "You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us."

"This was your doing somehow, wasn't it?" Devin asked, looking at Kitty.

"No one sends a maid to disturb my slumber after a night of drinking and gets away with it." Kitty replied with a Cheshire cat grin.

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of… mission. Quest. Thing." Pippin said.

"Well, that rules you out, Pip." Merry said. Devin raised an eyebrow while Kitty smiled in amusement.

"Nine companions." Elrond said thoughtfully.

"Ahem. Actually, make that eleven, Boss-man. We've decided we're coming, too." Kitty said as she and Devin stepped forward to volunteer.

"We've stuck with you this far." Devin told Frodo and the others. "We might as well go the whole distance."

"So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." Elrond said.

"Great!" Pippin said. "Where are we going?"


	13. Chapter 13

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13: The Ring Goes South<strong>

* * *

><p>"My, that was a great deal of talk, and just about everyone had an eye-opener." Bilbo said once the Council had been dismissed, and they were finally allowed to leave and have their lunch. The hobbits had decided to make a picnic of it so they could have a meeting of their own while they ate. Of course, they weren't completely alone, as Gandalf and the girls were with them. "Even old Gandalf. I think Legolas's bit of news about Gollum caught him on the hop, though he passed it off."<p>

"You were wrong." Said Gandalf. "You were in attentive. I had already heard of it from Gwaihir. If you want to know, the only real eye-openers, as you put it, were you and Frodo; and I, with the exception of these two young ladies, was the only one not surprised." Kitty and Devin both raised an eyebrow. What, no mention of Devin's rant about the possible unleashing of an apocalypse on their own world? Was that not interesting enough for them?

"Well, anyway," said Bilbo. "Did you see Elrond's face when those two popped out?" Bilbo asked with a twinkle in his eye, chuckling at the memory of the elf-lord's priceless expression upon seeing Merry and Pippin had invaded the secret council without his knowing.

"Yeah." Kitty agreed with an impish grin. "I should have taken a picture."

"And then I'm sure he would have had your phone destroyed along with all potential blackmail in it." Devin said, smiling wryly.

" 'Phone'?" Bilbo asked curiously. "What is that? One of the strange devices you brought with you from your world?"

"Yep. I'll show it you later, if you want." Kitty said. "It's supposed to be used as a communication device that lets people miles apart have a real-time conversation instead of waiting on letters, but it's pretty much just a flying brick now without the satellites in our world to carry the call signal."

"Wait. It flies, too?" Pippin asked excitedly.

"It does if I throw it at people." Kitty answered with a smirk.

"She breaks more phones that way." Devin said, shaking her head. "But enough about Kitty's idiosyncrasies. Did you say before that you wanted to talk about what will happen next, concerning the Ring?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Yes. Oh, but I suppose we won't really be able to do very much until the reports come in." Bilbo said. "Have they started yet, Gandalf?"

"Yes." Said the wizard. "Some of the scouts have been sent out already. More will go tomorrow. Elrond is sending Elves, and they will get in touch with the Rangers, and maybe Thranduil's folk in Mirkwood. And Aragorn has gone with Elrond's sons. We shall have to scour the lands all round for many long leagues before any move is made. So cheer up, Frodo! You will probably make quite a long stay here."

"Ah!" said Sam gloomily. "We'll wait just long enough for winter to come."

"That can't be helped." Said Bilbo. "It's your fault partly, Frodo my lad: insisting on waiting for my birthday. A funny way of remembering it, I can't help thinking. _Not _the day I should have chosen for letting the S.-Bs. into Bag End."

"_You_ wouldn't have chosen any day." Devin said.

"Yes, quite." He admitted with a chuckle. "But there it is: you can't wait now till spring; and you can't go till the reports come back.

_When winter first begins to bite  
>and stones crack in the frosty night,<br>when pools are black and trees are bare,  
>'tis evil in the Wild to fare.<em>

But that I am afraid will be just your luck."

"I am afraid it will." Said Gandalf. "We can't start until we have found out about the Riders."

"I thought they were all destroyed in the flood." Said Merry.

"You cannot destroy Ringwraiths like that." Said Gandalf. "The power of their master is in them, and they stand or fall by him. We hope that they were all unhorsed and unmasked, and so made for a while less dangerous; but we must find out for certain. In the meantime you should try and forget your troubles, Frodo. Which reminds me, I want to see Elrond. I must be off."

"What part of that reminded him of Elrond?" Kitty wondered out loud as they watched the wizard walk away.

"Who knows, I've long since given up trying to figure out what goes on in that old wizard's noggin." Bilbo said good-naturedly.

"How long do you think I shall have here?" Frodo asked Bilbo when Gandalf had gone.

"Oh, I don't know. I can't count days in Rivendell." Said Bilbo. "But quite long, I should think. We can have many a good talk. What about helping me with my book, and making a start on the next? Have you thought of an ending?"

"Yes, several, and all are dark and unpleasant." Said Frodo. Kitty raised an eyebrow at that. Not one for optimism, was he, their Frodo?

"Oh, that won't do!" Bilbo said. "Books ought to have good endings. How would this do: _and they all settled down and lived together happily ever after_?"

"It will do well, if it comes to that." Frodo said.

"Ah!" said Sam. "And where will they live? That's what I often wonder."

"Why, wherever they want, of course." Devin said, smiling.

For awhile the hobbits and girls continued to talk and think of the past journey and of the perils that lay ahead; but such was the virtue of Rivendell, that soon all fear and anxiety was lifted from their minds. The future, good or ill, was not forgotten, but ceased to have any power over the present. Health and hope grew strong in them, and they were content with each good day as it came, taking pleasure in every meal, and in every word and song. Devin had begun practicing her cheerleading to stay limber, and she soon became a novelty among the elves for her agility and athletic ability, just as Kitty had become one for her music.  
>So the days slipped away, as each morning dawned bright and fair, and each evening followed cool and clear. But autumn was waning fast; slowly the golden light faded to pale silver, and the lingering leaves fell from the naked trees. A wind began to blow chill from the Misty Mountains to the east. The Hunter's Moon waxed round in the night sky, and put to flight all the lesser star. But low in the South one star shone red. Every night, as the Moon waned again, it shone brighter and brighter. Frodo could see it from his window, deep in the heavens, burning like a watchful eye that glared above the tree on the brink of the valley.<p>

They had been nearly two months in the House of Elrond, and November had gone by with the last shreds of autumn, and December was passing, when the scouts began to return. Some had gone north beyond the springs of the Hoarwell into the Ettenmoors; and others had gone west, and with the help of Aragorn and the Rangers had searched the lands far down the Greyflood, as far as Tharbad, where the old North Road crossed the river by a ruined town. Many had gone east and south; and some of these had crossed the Mountains and entered Mirkwood, while others had climbed the pass at the source of the Gladden River, and had come down into the Wilderland and over the Gladden Fields and so at length had reached the old home of Radagast at Rhosgobel. Radagast was not there; and they had returned over the high pass that was called the Dimrill Stair. The sons of Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir, were the last to return; they had made a great journey, passing down the Silverlode in a strange country, but of their errand they would not speak to any save Elrond.  
>In no region had messengers discovered any signs or tidings of the Riders or other servants of the Enemy. Even from the Eagles of the Misty Mountains they had learned no fresh news. Nothing had been seen or heard of Gollum; but the wild wolves were still gathering, and were hunting again far up the Great River. Three of the black horses had been found at once drowned in the flooded Ford. On the rocks of the rapids below it searchers discovered the bodies of five more, and also a long black cloak, slashed and tattered. Of the Black Riders no other trace was to be seen, and nowhere was their presence to be felt. It seemed that they had vanished from the North.<p>

"Eight out of the Nine are accounted for at least." Said Gandalf. "It is rash to be too sure, yet I think that we may hope now that the Ringwraiths were scattered, and have been obliged to return as best they could to their Master in Mordor, empty and shapeless.  
>"If that is so, it will be some time before they can begin the hunt again. Of course, the Enemy has other servants, but they will have to journey all the way to the borders of Rivendell before they can pick up our trail. And if we are careful, that will be hard to find. But we must delay no longer."<p>

It was decided the company must depart in seven days. Aragorn and Gandalf walked together or sat speaking of their road and the perils they would meet; and they pondered the storied and figured maps and books of lore that were in the house of Elrond. Sometimes Frodo and the girls were with them, but they were content to lean on their guidance, and he spent as much time as he could with Bilbo, while the girls focused more on getting prepared for the long journey ahead, as they had yet to pack; or decide what to do with the artifacts they possessed which did not belong in this world, and seemed greatly concerned that their more advanced technology should not fall into the hands of the Enemy. In the end, with much sorrow, the girls allowed for their phones, ipods, and many other small items to be destroyed rather than try to recharge them, saying they could always be replaced once they returned to their world, however dear their loss may feel at the moment.  
>In those last days the hobbits and girls sat together in the evening in the Hall of Fire, and there they heard the told in full the lay of Beren and Lúthien and the winning of the Great Jewel; but in the day, while Merry, Pippin, Devin, and Kitty were out and about, Frodo and Sam were to be found with Bilbo in his own small room. Then Bilbo would read passages from his book (which still seemed very incomplete), or scraps of his verses, or would take notes of Frodo's adventures.<br>On the morning of the last day Frodo was alone with Bilbo, and the old hobbit pulled out from under his bed a wooden box. He lifted the lid and fumbled inside.

"Here is your sword." He said. "But it was broken, you know. I took it to keep it safe, but I've forgotten to ask if the smiths could mend it. No time now. So I thought, perhaps, you would care to have this, don't you know?"

He took from the box a small sword in an old shabby leathern scabbard. Then he drew it, and its polished and well-tended blade glittered suddenly, cold and bright.

"This is Sting." He said, and thrust it with little effort deep into a wooden beam. "Take it, if you like. I shan't want it again, I expect."

Frodo accepted it gratefully.

"Also there is this!" said Bilbo, bringing out a parcel which seemed to be rather heavy for its size. He unwound several folds of old cloth, and held up a small shirt of mail. It was close-woven of many rings, as supple almost as linen, cold as ice, and harder than steel. It shone like moonlit silver, and was studded with white gems. With it was a belt of pearl and crystal.

"It's a pretty thing, isn't it?" said Bilbo, moving it in the light. "And useful. It is my dwarf-mail that Thorin gave me. I got it back from Michel Delving before I started, and packed it with my luggage. I brought all the mementoes of my Journey away with me, except the Ring. But I did not expect to use this, and I don't need it now, except to look at sometimes. You hardly feel any weight when you put it on."

"It should look—well, I don't think I should look right in it." Said Frodo.

"Just what I said myself." Said Bilbo. "But never mind about looks. You can wear it under your outer clothes. Come on! You must share this secret with me. Don't tell anybody else! But I should feel happier if I knew you were wearing it. I have a fancy it would turn even the knives of the Black Riders." He ended in a low voice.

"Very well, I will take it, said Frodo. Bilbo put it on him, and fastened Sting upon the glittering belt; and then Frodo put over the top his old weather-stained breeches, tunic, and jacket.

"Just a plain hobbit you look." Said Bilbo. "But there is more about you now than appears on the surface. Good luck to you!" He turned away and looked out of the window, trying to hum a tune.

"I cannot thank you as I should, Bilbo, for this, and for all your past kindnesses." Said Frodo.

"Don't try!" said the old hobbit, turning round and slapping him on the back. "Ow!" he cried. "You are too hard now to slap! But there you are: Hobbits must stick together, and especially Bagginses. All I ask in return is: take as much care of yourself as you can, and bring back all the news you can come by. I'll do my best to finish my book before you return. I should like to write the second book, if I am spared." He broke off and turned to the window again, singing softly.

_I sit beside the fire and think  
>of all that I have seen,<br>of meadow-flowers and butterflies  
>in summers that have been;<em>

_Of yellow leaves and gossamer  
>in autumns that there were,<br>with morning mist and silver sun  
>and wind upon my hair.<em>

_I sit beside the fire and think  
>of how the world will be<br>when winter comes without a spring that I shall ever see._

_For still there are so many things  
>that I have never seen:<br>in every wood in every spring  
>there is a different green.<em>

_I sit beside the fire and think  
>of people long ago,<br>and people who will see a world  
>that I shall never know.<em>

_But all the while I sit and think  
>of times there were before,<br>I listen for returning feet  
>and voices at the door.<em>

Meanwhile the girls were called upon by Elrond and Arwen, and given a few gifts of their own to aide them on their journey. The elves who had made a habit of watching Devin's cheerleading workouts had tailored a couple of special outfits in dark berry hues for her that were designed to allow for optimum movement for the wearer, and almost reminded her of an elvish winter cheerleading uniform with leggings, boots, and a matching coat to wear rather than a cloak. It was functional and simple, but elegant. True to the elven style. Kitty was given a couple of outfits similar to Arwen's riding habit in shades of blue, to match her eyes.  
>The girls were then lead to the armory and allowed to choose a weapon or two of their choice since they had none of their own to begin with. Kitty immediately chose a sword. It had a long handle, so that it could easily be gripped with two hands for more power in the swing. Devin had a hard time choosing at first, but Kitty helped her narrow it down by suggesting she try a set of two double-ended daggers, pointing out that they were a lot like the pompoms she was used to performing with, only sharper. Devin also ended up taking a set of small throwing knives. She was really quite good at darts, after all.<p>

"I had words with Aragorn about reforging the sword." Elrond said to Devin in a low voice while they watched Arwen help Kitty adjust her form to properly wield the elven sword she have chosen. "He would not be persuaded."

"He'll change his mind, in time. He'll have to. Even if he won't do it for himself or because we say it's necessary, he'll still do it in the end. He'll do it for her." Devin said, glancing pointedly at Arwen. Elrond followed her gaze.

"You are certain of this?" he asked.

"Yes. I believe what's meant to be will always find a way. And those two are meant for each other." She said, smiling up at him reassuringly.

"I hope for her sake, for all our sakes, that you are right." Elrond said as he watched his smiling daughter laugh at Kitty's antics.

It was a cold and grey day near the end of December. The East Wind was streaming through the bare branches of the trees, and seething in the dark pines on the hills. Ragged clouds were hurrying overhead, dark and low. As the cheerless shadows of the early evening began to fall the Company made ready to set out. They were to start at dusk, for Elrond counseled them to journey under cover of night as often as they could, until they were far from Rivendell.

"You should fear the many eyes of the servants of Sauron." He said. "I do not doubt that the news of the discomfiture of the Riders has already reached him, and he will be filled with wrath. Soon now his spies on foot and wing will be abroad in the northern lands. Even of the sky above you must beware as you go on your way."

The Company took little gear of war, for their hope was secrecy not in battle. Aragorn was once again clad in his weathered ranger gear. Boromir had a long sword, and he bore also a shield and his war horn.

"Loud and clear it sounds in the valleys of the hill," he said, "and then let all the foes of Gondor flee!" Putting it to his lips he blew a blast, and the echoes leapt from rock to rock, all that heard that voice in Rivendell sprang to their feet.

"Slow should you be to wind that horn again, Boromir," said Elrond, "until you stand once more on the borders of your land, and dire need is on you."

"Maybe." Said Boromir. "But I always let my horn cry at setting forth, and though thereafter we may walk in the shadows, I will not go forth as a thief in the night." Kitty rather subtly rolled her eyes at this. He was such a jock.

Gimli the dwarf alone wore openly a short shirt of steel rings and a helm upon his head, for dwarves make light of burdens; and in his belt was a broad-bladed axe. More of varying lengths were strapped upon his back. Legolas had a bow and a quiver, and two long white knives holstered on his back. The younger hobbits wore the swords they had taken from the barrow; but Frodo only took Sting; and his mail coat, as Bilbo wished, remained hidden. The girls wore their gifts from the Elves of Rivendell, and chose to leave all their other-worldly belongings (aside from the lighter, which could prove quite handy) in the safe-keeping of the Elves for the duration of their journey. Gandalf bore his staff, but girt at his side was the elven-sword Glamdring, the mate of Orcrist that now lay upon the breast of Thorin under the Lonely Mountain.  
>All were well furnished by Elrond with thick warm clothes, and they had jackets and cloaks lined with fur. Spare food and clothes and blankets and other needs were laden on a pony, none other than the poor beast that they had brought from Bree.<br>The stay in Rivendell had worked a great wonder of change on him: he was glossy and seemed to have the vigor of youth. It was Sam who had insisted on choosing him, declaring that Bill (as he called him, though Kitty had wanted to name him Tequila) would pine, if he did not come.

"That animal can nearly talk," he said, "and would talk, if he stayed here much longer. He gave me a look as plain as Mr. Pippin could speak it: if you don't let me go with you, Sam, I'll follow on my own." So Bill was going as the beast of burden, yet he and the girls were the only members of the company that did not seem depressed.

Their farewells had been said in the great hall by the fire, and they were only waiting now for Gandalf, who had not yet come out of the house. A gleam of firelight came from the open doors, and soft lights were glowing in many windows. Bilbo huddled in a cloak stood silent on the doorstep beside Frodo. Aragorn sat with his head bowed to his knees; only Elrond and Devin knew fully what this hour meant to him. The others could be seen as grey shapes in the darkness. Sam was standing by the pony and the girls, sucking his teeth, and staring moodily into the gloom where the river roared stonily below; in contrast to Kitty, who seemed most excited and could not wait to get started, his desire for adventure was at its lowest ebb.

"Bill, my lad," he said, "you oughtn't to have took up with us. You could have stayed here and et the best hay till the new grass comes." Bill swished his tail and said nothing.

Sam eased the pack on his shoulders, and went over anxiously in his mind all the things that he had stowed in it, wondering if he had forgotten anything: his chief treasure, his cooking gear; and the little box of salt that he always carried and refilled when he could; a good supply of pipe-weed (but not near enough, I'll warrant); flint and tinder; woolen hose; linen; various small belongings of his master's that Frodo had forgotten and Sam had stowed to bring them out in triumph when they were called for. He went through them all.

"Rope!" he muttered. "No rope! And only last night you said to yourself: 'Sam, what about a bit of rope? You'll want it if you haven't got it.' Well, I'll want it. I can't get it now."

"Does he realize he's talking out loud to himself?" Kitty whispered to Devin.

"Oh, leave him alone. He's just nervous, and he has good reason to be." Devin said. "We would be, too, if we had any sense."

At that moment Elrond came out with Gandalf, and he called the Company to him. "This is my last word." He said in a low voice. "The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest to Mount Doom. On him alone is any charge laid; neither to cast the Ring away, nor to deliver it to any servant of the Enemy nor indeed to let any handle it, save members of the Company and the Council, and only then in gravest need. The other go with him as free companions, to help him on his way. You may tarry, or come back, or turn aside into other paths, as chance allows. The further you go, the less easy it will be to withdraw; yet no oath or bond is laid on you to go further than you will. For you do not yet know the strength of your hearts, and you cannot foresee what each may meet upon the road."

"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." Said Gimli.

"Maybe," said Elrond, "but let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall."

"Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart." Said Gimli.

"Or break it." Said Elrond. "Look not too far ahead! But go now with good hearts! Farewell, and may the blessing of Elves and Men and all Free Folk go with you. May the stars shine upon your faces!"

"Good… good luck!" cried Bilbo, stuttering with the cold. "I don't suppose you will be able to keep a diary, Frodo my lad, but I shall expect a full account when you get back. And don't be too long! Farewell!"

Many others from Elrond's household stood in the shadows and watched them go, bidding them farewell with soft voices. There was no laughter, and no song or music. At last they turned away and faded silently into the dusk.  
>They crossed the bridge and wound slowly up the long steep paths that led out of the cloven vale of Rivendell; and they came at length to the high moor where the wind hissed through the heather. Then with one glance at the Last Homely House twinkling below them they strode away far into the night.<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

**Previously: **

_"The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest to Mount Doom. On him alone is any charge laid; neither to cast the Ring away, nor to deliver it to any servant of the Enemy nor indeed to let any handle it, save members of the Company and the Council, and only then in gravest need. The other go with him as free companions, to help him on his way. You may tarry, or come back, or turn aside into other paths, as chance allows. The further you go, the less easy it will be to withdraw; yet no oath or bond is laid on you to go further than you will. For you do not yet know the strength of your hearts, and you cannot foresee what each may meet upon the road."_

_"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." Said Gimli._

_"Maybe," said Elrond, "but let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall."_

_"Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart." Said Gimli._

_"Or break it." Said Elrond. "Look not too far ahead! But go now with good hearts! Farewell, and may the blessing of Elves and Men and all Free Folk go with you. May the stars shine upon your faces!"_

_"Good… good luck!" cried Bilbo, stuttering with the cold. "I don't suppose you will be able to keep a diary, Frodo my lad, but I shall expect a full account when you get back. And don't be too long! Farewell!"_

_Many others from Elrond's household stood in the shadows and watched them go, bidding them farewell with soft voices. There was no laughter, and no song or music. At last they turned away and faded silently into the dusk._  
><em>They crossed the bridge and wound slowly up the long steep paths that led out of the cloven vale of Rivendell; and they came at length to the high moor where the wind hissed through the heather. Then with one glance at the Last Homely House twinkling below them they strode away far into the night.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14: Hollin<strong>

* * *

><p>At the Ford of Bruinen they left the Road and turning southwards went on by narrow paths among the folded landed. Their purpose was to hold this course west of the Mountains for many miles and days. The country was much rougher and more barren than in the green vale of the Great River in Wilderland on the other side of the range, and their going would be slow; but they hoped in this way to escape the notice of unfriendly eyes. The spies of Sauron had hitherto seldom been seen in this empty country, and the paths were little known except to the people of Rivendell.<br>Gandalf walked in front, and with him went Aragorn, who knew this land even in the dark. The others were in file behind, and Legolas whose eyes were keen was the rearguard. The first part of their journey was hard and dreary, and Frodo remembered little of it, save the wind. For many sunless days an icy blast came from the Mountains in the east, and no garment seemed able to keep out its searching fingers. Though the company was well clad, they seldom felt warm, either moving or at rest. The girls could often huddled close to each other for warmth, for they were used to far milder winters in the South of their home country. The Company slept uneasily during the middle of the day, in some hollow of the land, or hidden under the tangled thorn bushes that grew in thickets in many places. In late afternoon they were roused by the watch, and took their chief meal: cold and cheerless as a rule, for they could seldom risk the lighting of a fire. In the evening they went on again, always as nearly southward as they could find a way.  
>At first it seemed to the hobbits that although they walked and stumbled until they were weary, they were creeping forward like snails, and getting nowhere. Each day the land looked much the same as it had the day before. Yet steadily the mountains were drawing nearer. South of Rivendell they rose ever higher, and bent westwards; and about the feet of the main ridge there was tumbled an even wider land of bleak hills, and deep valleys filled with turbulent waters. Paths were few and winding, and led them often only to the edge of some sheer fall, or down into treacherous swamps.<p>

They had been a fortnight on the way when the weather changed. The winds suddenly fell and then veered round to the south. The swift-flowing clouds lifted and melted away, and the sun came out, pale and bright. There came a cold clear dawn at the end of a long stumbling night-march. The travellers reached a low ridge crowned with ancient holly-trees whose grey-green trunks seemed to have been built out of the very stone of the hills. Their dark leaves shone and their berries glowed red in the light of the rising sun.  
>Away in the south, Frodo could see the dim shapes of lofty mountains that seemed now to stand across the path that the Company was taking. At the left of this high range rose three peaks; the tallest and nearest stood up like a tooth tipped with snow; its great, bare, northern precipice was still largely in the shadow, but where the sunlight slanted upon it, it glowed red. Devin smiled at the sight, for she recognized it as matching the description of Hollin; and knowing that they had at last reached an oasis of sorts made the view all the more beautiful to behold.<br>Gandalf stood at Frodo's side and looked out under his hand.

"We have done well." The wizard said. "We have reached the borders of the country that Men call Hollin; many Elves lived here in happier days, when Eregion was its name. Five-and-forty leagues as the crow flies we have come, though many long miles further our feet have walked. The land and the weather will be milder now, but perhaps all the more dangerous."

"Dangerous or not, a real sunrise is mighty welcome." Said Frodo, throwing back his hood and letting the morning light fall on his face.

"Amen to that!" Kitty exclaimed as she and Devin followed suit. The pale sunlight seemed to breathe new life into Devin's dark auburn hair, as it now glowed with touches of highlights resembling smoldering embers.

"But the mountains are ahead of us." Said Pippin. "We must have turned eastwards in the night."

"No." said Gandalf. "But you see further ahead in the clear light. Beyond those peaks the range bends round south-west. There are many maps in Elrond's house, but I suppose you never thought to look at them?"

"Yes I did, sometimes," said Pippin, "but I don't remember them. Frodo has a better head for that sort of thing."

"I need no map." Said Gimli, who had come up with Legolas, and was gazing out before him with a strange light in his deep eyes. "There is the land where our fathers worked of old, and we have wrought the image of those mountains into many works of metal and stone, and into many songs and tales. They stand tall in our dreams: Baraz, Zirak, and Shathûr.  
>"Only once before have I seen them from afar in waking life, but now I know their names, for under them lies Khazad-dûm, the Dwarrowdelf, that is now called the Black Pit, Moria in the Elvish tongue. Yonder stands Barazinbar, the Redhorn, cruel Caradhras; and beyond him are the Silvertine and Cloudyhead: Celebdil the White, and Fanuidhol the Grey, that we call Zirak-zigil and Bundushathûr.<br>"There the Misty Mountains divide, and between their arms lies the deep-shadowed valley which we cannot forget: Azanulbizar, the Dimrill Dale, which the Elves call Nanduhirion."

"It is for Dimrill Dale that we are making." Said Gandalf. "If we climb the pass that is called the Redhorn Gate, under the far side of Caradhras, we shall come down by the Dimrill Stair in the deep vale of the Dwarves. There lies the Mirrormere, and there the River Silverlode rises in its icy springs."

"Dark is the water of Kheled-zâram," said Gimli, "and cold are the springs of Kibil-nâla. My heart trembles at the thought that I may see them soon."

"May you have joy at the sight, my good dwarf!" said Gandalf. "But whatever you may do, we at least cannot stay in that valley. We must go down the Silverlode into the secret woods, and so to the Great River, and then—" He paused.

"Yes, and where then?" asked Merry.

"To the end of the journey in the end." Said Gandalf. "We cannot look too far ahead. Let us be glad that the first stage is safely over. I think we will rest here, not only today, but tonight as well. There is a wholesome air about Hollin. Much evil must befall a country before it wholly forgets the Elves, if once they dwelt there."

"That is true." Said Legolas. "But the elves of this land were of a race strange to us of the silvan folk, and the trees and the grass do not now remember them. Only I hear the stones lament them: _deep they delved us, fair they wrought us, high they built us; but they are gone._ They are gone. They sought the Havens long ago."

"Whoa. You can talk to nature?" Kitty asked.

"Well, he is an elf, Kitty." Devin reminded her friend. "They can all do that, remember? It's kind of their thing."

"No, not really. I kind of forgot that bit." Kitty answered honestly. Gandalf shook his head. No wonder she and Pippin got a long so well.

That morning they lit a fire in a deep hollow shrouded by great bushes of holly, and their supper-breakfast was merrier than it had been since they set out. They did not hurry to bed afterwards, for they had expected to have all the night to sleep in, and they did not mean to go on again until the evening of the next day. For the first time in a good while, they all finally had time to relax and have a proper conversation with each other.

"You seem to know much of our world, but we know next to nothing of yours." Boromir said to the girls as they all sat around the cheerful little fire. "This has been weighing on my mind for some time. Why not tell us tales of _your _land for a change?" The two girls exchanged a glance, wondering if they should.

"I, too, am curious about the land you come from." Legolas said, looking at Devin, whom he had sat beside, with intent grey eyes. Devin could feel herself starting to blush again, but she was saved by Kitty, who distracted her by abruptly clasping her hands in her own.

"Please, can we tell them?" Kitty asked, fluttering her eyelashes in an overly exaggerated manner to accompany her puppy-dog pout. "I'm tired of holding back! I think it's giving me a rash—or is it part of my withdrawal symptoms from lack of music after you convinced me to leave my trumpet behind? Either way, I think you owe me something for being good and behaving myself for so long."

"You call harassing everyone taller than you for a 'piggyback ride' _behaving_?" Gandalf asked dubiously, raising a bushy eyebrow at her as he smoked his pipe. "I do not think that word means what you think it does."

"No, for Kitty that was pretty mild." Devin said, smiling wryly. "Trust me, you do _not_ want to see what she's like when she's misbehaving." Merry and Pippin raised their eyebrows. Now that, they had to see.

"Yeah, so can I tell them?" Kitty asked, getting back to the point.

"Well, I suppose it'd be all right, so long as it's just a little." Devin said tentatively. The air was indeed wholesome here, and it felt safe around the fire. A few miscellaneous details shouldn't hurt, right?

"Yes!" Kitty cheered, pumping her fist triumphantly in the air. "Where to begin...? Well, first things, first: men and women are equal where we're from."

"What?" Boromir asked, furrowing his brow as he stared skeptically at her, just as predicted. Kitty smirked.

"You heard me." She said. "Women have all the same rights and privileges as men. We have equal social and legal standing, so hah!"

"How did that happen?" Boromir asked, turning to Devin.

"Well, it wasn't easy. For the longest time, women were pretty much treated like second-class citizens since they had no legal voice and couldn't even own property with approval from a male relative in most countries, but after centuries of trying to talk some sense in their husbands, brothers, and fathers, the men finally started to listen; and the majority voted to give women the right to vote in the future as well." Devin explained, oversimplifying everything in an effort to make a long story short.

"Vote?" He asked, furrowing his brow.

"It's a formal expression of preference for a candidate for office, or for a proposed resolution of an issue." Devin stated. "We have a special system of government that allows the people to choose what laws they want passed or changed for themselves. Our country was founded on the fundamental belief that all humans—all _people_—were created possessing the same inherent dignity and rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

"All people were created equally, hmm? Except for the king, I bet." Said Gimli with touch of cynicism.

"We don't have a king." Devin answered calmly.

"No king? You have a queen, then?" he asked.

"Nope. No queen either." Kitty said with a smirk.

Nonsense. A country with no ruler? There would be anarchy!" Gimli said, frowning.

"Well, we call it 'democracy'." Kitty said smartly, grinning like Cheshire cat.

"It's a system of government that was created for the people by the people. Our leader is an elected official called a 'President' chosen through voting who, for better or worse, is chosen by the people as a whole. There's a system of checks and balances to prevent any one person from seizing too much power." Devin explained.

"That would never work. Everyone would be so busy trying to become the leader, that there would be no one left to vote." Boromir said with a hollow laugh of disbelief, finding the whole scenario absurd.

"Not really." Kitty said. "It's a big job running a country, and it's pretty lonely at the top, despite all the perks and prestige that come with the position. People are always complaining, and you're always getting blamed for the mistakes of your predecessor… unless you're Obama. He screwed everything up all on his own, and he's such a whiner! He's the perfect example of why people hate politicians. That guy really annoys me—his plans for messing with the insurance and healthcare systems seriously scared the crap out of me! Don't fix something that isn't broken, you ass-hat-of-a-twat-waffle!" seethed Kitty at their absent president. The dangerous look in her eyes indicated she would like nothing better than to wring this 'Obama's' neck. She didn't trust the idea of giving the government that much control over the people's private lives, and had been terrified that the new plan wouldn't cover the specific cocktail of meds required to keep her sane. Fortunately it hadn't come to that, but very idea of it happening had triggered a panic attack that resulted in her having to start taking an anti-anxiety medication in addition to everything else they already had her on. As a result, Obama had earned himself a top spot on Kitty's blacklist. Forever.

"Um, you'll have to excuse Kitty… She's very sensitive about certain political topics." Devin told them upon seeing the nervous looks on the hobbits' faces as they eyed their strange companion a little warily.

"Well, yeah!" Kitty huffed indignantly. It could have affect her medication, and how often she could afford to see the doctor! "Anyone in my position would be pissed!"

"It sounds as though your system of government still has a few kinks to work out." Aragorn said.

"Yes. It's not perfect, but it works well enough to suit our needs. Most of the time, anyway." Devin admitted ruefully with shrug. It was better than being crushed under the thumb of a wicked dictator. "A President's term in office only lasts four years, so if they prove inept or make us regret their election, we at least don't have to put up with them for long. It's not like we're stuck with them for life. We're able to enjoy a large amount of freedom in our country that not everyone else is fortunate enough to have in other parts of our world."

"You keep talking about Men, calling them 'humans', but you haven't mentioned anything about elves, dwarves, or hobbits yet." Merry said. "What about them?"

"Oh." Kitty said, blinking. "Well, this is kind of awkward… but we haven't mentioned them because they don't exist in our world." She answered rather bluntly with a straight face.

"I'm afraid elves and dwarves only exist in myths and legends in our world, and the only place I've ever heard mention of hobbits is in the book about this world." Devin explained with a small, apologetic smile.

"Oh." Pippin said, looking disappointed.

"Do you have lots of books about other worlds where you're from?" Merry asked, recovering the quickest of all their companions.

"Yes, in fact, we have lots." Said Devin, thinking it might very well be true. After all, they had once thought this world was only fiction; so who knew how many other fantastical stories out there might actually belong in the nonfiction section? "Oh, Kitty, why don't you tell them about the Doctor, or Harry Potter?" She suggested, knowing her friend would be only too happy to oblige.

"OMG, _yes_. I must tell you all about Harry and the Rowling-verse!" Kitty said with grave enthusiasm. "It's awesomeness will implode your minds, my dear hobbits."

"That sounds like it might hurt." Pippin commented, looking concerned.

"Don't worry. She's exaggerating." Devin reassured him.

"I'm being perfectly serious!" Kitty insisted. "This is my serious face! Listen to my tale of wonder and judge its majesty for yourself!" She commanded them, launching into the story of _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_. Kitty had a certain flair when it came to storytelling, and she soon had the whole company listening intently as she regaled the hobbits with the tale of young Harry's first adventure at Hogwarts.  
>Only Aragorn was silent and restless. After a while he left the Company and wandered on to the ridge; there he stood in the shadow of a tree, looking out southwards and westwards, with his head posed as if he was listening. Then he returned to the brink of the dell and looked down at the others laughing and talking. They seemed to find Kitty's story immensely entertaining, though Gandalf had a quite a few things to say about the differences between Rowling's wizards and the ones he knew of this world.<p>

"What's the matter, Strider?" Merry called up, while Kitty and the old wizard argued about one of these finer issues. "What are you looking for? Do you miss the East Wind?"

"No indeed." He answered. "But I miss something. I have been in the country of Hollin in many seasons. No folk dwell here now, but many other creatures live here at all times, especially birds. Yet now all things but you are silent. I can feel it. There is no sound for miles about us, and your voices seem to make the ground echo. I do not understand it."

Gandalf looked up with sudden interest. "But what do you guess is the reason?" he asked. "Is there more in it than surprise at seeing four hobbits, not to mention the rest of us, where people are so seldom seen or heard?"

"I hope that is it." Answered Aragorn. "But I have a sense of watchfulness, and of fear, that I have never had here before."

"Then we must be more careful." Said Gandalf. "If you bring a Ranger with you, it is well to pay attention to him, especially if that Ranger is Aragorn. We must stop talking aloud, rest quietly, and set the watch."

It was Devin's turn that day to take the first watch, but Aragorn and Legolas joined her. The others fell asleep, and Devin began to feel the strange silence that he had spoken of earlier grow. The breathing of the sleepers could be plainly heard. The swish of the pony's tail and the occasional movements of his feet became loud noises. Devin could hear her own joints creaking, if she stirred.

"Something is troubling you." The ranger keenly observed, startling her. Though he was careful to keep his voice low and quiet, it seemed a roar against the silence around them.

"Yes. As you said, this silence is uncanny, but more than that… I fear that I shall soon have to make a very difficult decision." She admitted, furrowing her brow as she squeezed her hands. Their descent into Moria was fast approaching, and the danger and loss that she knew lay waiting for them weighed heavily on her mind and heart. Although she had resolved to try to interfere as little humanly possible while trying to help keep the story on track, even going so far as to allow Frodo to sustain a nearly fatal wound simply because it had been written so, she was beginning to doubt herself. Despite knowing that it was meant to happen, Devin still had trouble forgiving herself for it and deeply regretted letting it come to pass. Frodo, the other hobbits, and the rest of the fellowship were more than just characters in a story, they were living and breathing beings of flesh and blood; and they were all becoming increasingly dear to her. They were now friends that she wanted to protect and care for just as much as Kitty.

"Can you speak of it?" Aragorn asked while Legolas listened. Whatever the matter was, it seemed to her pain her greatly. Devin shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but I can't." She answered with regret as she looked down. "Not yet." With that the subject was closed, for they understood that she meant well and was bearing a great burden to the best of her abilities, and knew better than to press her. The dead silence surrounded them again, and over all hung a clear blue sky, as the Sun rode up from the East. Legolas appeared to have sensed something beyond the range of human perception, for he suddenly stood and cocked his head slightly as he looked to the South. Aragorn and Devin quickly turned their heads and followed his gaze, straining to see what had caught the elf's attention. Away on the horizon, a dark patch appeared, and grew, and drove north like flying smoke in the wind. Devin gasped as she recognized the scene and quickly rushed over to the fire to smother it with dirt while the others continued to gaze intently at the sky. Aragorn was about to ask what is was, when Legolas suddenly reached out and grabbed the two humans, pulling them down with him into the shade of a holly-bush.

"Lie flat and still!" He instructed them urgently in a low voice as the shadow drew near enough for human eyes to see what was approaching more clearly. Flocks of birds, flying at great speed, were wheeling and circling, and traversing the land as if they searching for something; and they were steadily drawing nearer. A whole regiment of birds broke away suddenly from the main host, and came, flying low, straight towards the ridge. As the large black birds passed overhead, in so dense a throng that their shadow followed them darkly over the ground below, one harsh croak was heard. Not until they dwindled into the distance, north and west, and the sky was again clear would the three of them rise. Then they quickly sprang up and Aragorn went and awakened Gandalf while Legolas and Devin kept guard.

"You knew." Legolas said as they watched the skies. He was sure that was why she had rushed to put out the fire without waiting.

"I expected." Devin answered. "I'm not omnipotent. I only know what I've read, and not even that is always entirely accurate." This was originally supposed to have happened while Sam and Aragorn kept watch.

"Regiments of black crows are flying all over the land between the Mountains and Greyflood," Aragorn said once the wizard was roused, "and they have passed over Hollin. They are not natives here; they are _crebain_ out of Fangorn and Dunland. I do not know what they are about: possibly there is some trouble away south from which they are fleeing; but I think they are spying out the land. I have also glimpsed many hawks flying high up in the sky. I think we ought to move again this evening. Hollin is no longer wholesome for us: it is being watched."

"And in that case so is the Redhorn Gate," said Gandalf; "and how can we get over that without being seen, I cannot imagine. But we will think of that when we must. As for moving as soon as it is dark, I am afraid that you are right."

"Luckily our fire made little smoke, and had burned low before the _crebain_ came." Said Aragorn. It was also fortunate that the sleeping happened to be lying in such a way that they had all been hidden from view as well. "Devin has put it out, and it must not be lit again."

—\–|–/—

"Well, if that isn't a plague and nuisance!" said Pippin. "All because of a pack of crows! I had looked forward to a real good meal tonight: something hot."

"This seriously sucks!" Kitty agreed moodily. The news: no fire, and a move again by night, had been broken to them as soon as they woke in the late afternoon. "I was really looking forward to that, too! I wanted to make pizza."

"Pizza…" Merry, Pippin, and Sam sighed wistfully with dreamy expressions on their faces, dangerously close to drooling over the tasty memory of the one the girls had made for them before.

"Well, you can go on looking forward." Said Gandalf. "There may be many unexpected feasts ahead for you. For myself, I should like a pipe to smoke in comfort, and warmer feet." Devin silently seconded the warm feet part. Her own felt like a pair of popsicles. "However, we are certain of one thing at any rate: it will get warmer as we get south."

"Too warm, I shouldn't wonder." Muttered Sam to Frodo. "But I'm beginning to think it's time we got sight of that Fiery Mountain, and saw the end of the Road, so to speak. I thought at first that this here Redhorn, or whatever its name is, might be it, till Gimli spoke his piece. A fair jaw-cracker dwarf-language must be!" Maps conveyed little to Sam's mind, and all distances in these strange lands seemed so vast that he was quite out of his reckoning.  
>All that day the Company remained in hiding. The dark birds passed over now and again; but as the westering Sun grew red they disappeared southwards. At dusk the Company set out, and turning now half east they steered their course towards Caradhras, which far away still glowed faintly red in the last light of the vanished Sun. one by one white stars sprang forth as the sky faded.<br>Guided by Aragorn they struck a good path. It looked to Frodo like the remains of an ancient road, that had once been broad and well planned, from Hollin to the mountain-pass. The Moon, now at the full, rose over the mountains, and cast a pale light in which the shadows of stones were black. Many of them looked to have been worked by hands, though now they lay tumbled and ruinous in a bleak, barren land.  
>It was the cold chill hour before the first stir of dawn, and the moon was low. Frodo looked up at the sky. Suddenly he saw or felt a shadow pass over the high stars, as if for a moment, they faded and then flashed out again. He shivered.<p>

"Did you see anything pass over?" he whispered to Gandalf, who was just ahead.

"No, but I felt it, whatever it was." He answered. "It may be nothing, only a wisp of thin cloud."

"It was moving fast then," muttered Aragorn, "and not with the wind."


	15. Chapter 15

**Previously:**

_Frodo looked up at the sky. Suddenly he saw or felt a shadow pass over the high stars, as if for a moment, they faded and then flashed out again. He shivered._

_"Did you see anything pass over?" he whispered to Gandalf, who was just ahead._

_"No, but I felt it, whatever it was." He answered. "It may be nothing, only a wisp of thin cloud."_

_"It was moving fast then," muttered Aragorn, "and not with the wind."_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15: The Pass of Caradhras<br>**

* * *

><p>Nothing further happened that night. The next morning dawned even brighter than before. But the air was chill again; already the wind was turning back towards the east. For two more nights they marched on, climbing steadily but ever more slowly as their road wound up into the hills, and the mountains towered up, nearer and nearer. On the third morning Caradhras rose before them, a mighty peak, tipped with snow like silver, but with sheer naked sides, dull red as if stained with blood.<br>There was a black look in the sky, and the sun was wan. The wind had gone now round to the north-east. Gandalf snuffed the air and looked back.

"Winter deepens behind us." He said quietly to Aragorn. "The heights away north are whiter than they were; snow is lying far down their shoulders. Tonight we shall be on our way high up towards the Redhorn Gate. We may well be seen by watchers on that narrow path, and waylaid by some evil; but the weather may prove a more deadly enemy than any. What do you think of your course now, Aragorn?"

Devin overheard these words, and understood that Gandalf and Aragorn were continuing some debate that had begun long before. She listened anxiously, for the knowledge of what was yet to come weighed far too heavily on her conscience to allow her rest.

"I think no good of our course from beginning to end, as you know well, Gandalf." Answered Aragorn. "And perils known and unknown will grow as we go on. But we must go on; and it is no good our delaying the passage of the mountains. Further south there are no passes, till one comes to the Gap of Rohan. I do not trust that way since your news of Saruman. Who knows which side now the marshals of the Horse-lords serve?"

"Who knows indeed!" said Gandalf. "But there is another way, and not by the pass of Caradhras: the dark and secret way that we have spoken of."

"But let us not speak of it again! Not yet. Say nothing to the others, I beg, not until it is plain that there is no other way."

"We must decide before we go further." Answered Gandalf.

"Then let us weigh the matter in our minds, while the others rest and sleep." Said Aragorn. Devin remained silent for a moment after their conversation ended; but then she set her jaw with determination and quietly pushed herself up and moved closer to them, feeling the time had come to speak. It was now or never.

"May I have a word?" She asked Gandalf in a low voice, trying to be discrete. "A certain matter has been weighing heavily on my mind for some time now, and it concerns you greatly. I have long debated with myself over the matter, and can no longer hold back; I must speak with you, before it is too late." Her words surprised the wizard, and both he and the ranger were concerned by the torn and troubled look in her eyes. Whatever the matter was, it disturbed her greatly. Gandalf nodded and took her aside to hear what she had to say. "I must agree with Aragorn." Devin continued earnestly, keeping to an urgent whisper. "We cannot trust the way through Gap of Rohan so long as we accompany the Ring, but I would sooner risk frostbite than enter the mines. I do not know whether or not I should be telling you this, but I could never forgive myself if I simply stood by and did nothing, and knowingly let a friend march to their death. The dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. In the darkness of Moria, they awakened _shadow_ and _flame_. It is not of the Ring, nor of the rest of us that I am thinking now, but of you, Gandalf. I fear for your life. I do not wish to pass through the mines." She finished grimly. Even a blind man could see how much speaking of this matter pained her. It was as if she were already mourning his loss.

"But it is necessary… or else, you would not be so troubled." Gandalf guessed correctly. If their attempt to pass over Caradhras was to be successful, then there would be no need to speak to him of the alternatives; and if there was no need for them to enter the mines, then she could have simply redirected them. It would seem their fate had already been tied to Moria long before the journey had ever begun.

"Yes, I believe it is…" Devin answered sadly, unable to look him in the eye. "According to what I have read, your actions in Moria will have a deeply significant and positive impact on the history of this world. But not everything has come to pass as I expected it to." In the book, Gandalf died and was later resurrected because Middle Earth still needed him, but there was now a shadow of doubt in her mind after finding the reality of this world to be so different from the story. "If you enter Moria, then I cannot guarantee your survival." Gandalf wore a grave expression on his face as he carefully considered her words. A slow, somewhat wan but rueful smile began to form on his wizened face. Looking into Devin's concerned blue-violet orbs, he found himself smiling fondly at the memory of another pair that had regarded him similarly in the past.

"You cannot guarantee my survival? I may be old, but I am not helpless, as I'm sure you well know. Do not worry, I have taken your counsel with all due seriousness, but while you may possess more foreknowledge of events yet to come than the rest of us, you are still only a very young woman in a great big world, and life always has ways of surprising us. You need not be so hard on yourself. The burden you carry is heavy enough as it is. Continue to shoulder it to the best of your abilities, and when you know better; do better, as you have been doing all along. I want you to continue to do so at your own discretion, but be careful! For you have taken a great risk by telling me all that you have, greater than you may have guessed." He cautioned her gravely. For while he now knew what must be done, and bore no grudge against her or his fate (whatever it may be), he found himself growing reluctant at the idea of possibly having to soon part with this world. "Well, try to get some rest." Said Gandalf on a lighter note, raising his voice so that it was loud enough for Aragorn to hear again, signaling the end of their private conversation, as he ushered her back over to rejoin the others who were still sleeping. "As you have said yourself, you cannot be entirely sure of our fate just yet, and there is little point in losing sleep over something that may not even come to pass."

In the late afternoon, while the others were finishing their breakfast, Gandalf and Aragorn went aside together and stood looking at Caradhras. Its sides were now dark and sullen, and its head was in grey cloud. Devin and Frodo watched them, wondering which way the debate would go, for she had not been the only one still awake enough to overhear the wizard and the ranger earlier. When they returned to the Company Gandalf spoke, and then they knew that it had been decided to face the weather and the high pass. Frodo was relieved. He could not guess what the other dark and secret way was, but the very mention of it had seemed to fill Aragorn and Devin with dismay, and Frodo was glad that it had been abandoned; but he noticed their announcement appeared to have done little to relieve Devin's anxiety. After all, she knew the odds of being able to successfully pass over the mountain were being stacked heavily against them.

"From the signs that we have seen lately," said Gandalf, "I fear that the Redhorn Gate may be watched; and I also have doubts of the weather that is coming up behind. Snow may come. We must go with all the speed that we can. Even so it will take us more than two marches before we reach the top of the pass. Dark will come early this evening. We must leave as soon as you can get ready."

"I will add a word of advice, if I may." Said Boromir. "I was born under the shadow of the White Mountains and know something of journeys in the high places. We shall meet bitter cold, if no worse, before we come down on the other side. It will not help us to keep so secret that we are frozen to death. When we leave here, where there are still a few trees and bushes, each of us should carry a faggot of wood, as large as he or she can bear."

"Oh, you've said something right, for once!" Kitty said, clapping him on the back in congratulations, though he felt somewhat slighted by her left-handed compliment.

"And Bill could take a bit more, couldn't you, lad?" Sam suggested. The pony looked at him mournfully.

"Very well." Said Gandalf. "But we must not use the wood—not unless it is a choice between fire and death."

"Oh!" Kitty gasped suddenly as it finally dawned on her who Boromir reminded her of. "Hey, hey! Boromir! 'Winter is coming.'" She said with a stern face, imitating Lord Stark's famous pose with his sword. Devin nearly lost it. The others stared at the two girls in confusion while Kitty proudly held her pose, and Devin held her sides, shaking as she nearly doubled-over with laughter. It felt good to experience a moment of cheer and to have the burden of the heavy and dark thoughts that hade been plaguing her of late temporarily lifted.

"Winter has been upon us for some time now." Said Boromir with a look that clearly showed he was questioning their sanity. Unfortunately, this only seemed to further Kitty's amusement, for she joined Devin in laughter.

"Yes, well," said Gandalf, "when you are quite finished making fools of yourselves, perhaps you would like to make yourselves useful."

"Sorry, sorry!" Devin apologized, wiping a stray tear from her shining eyes. "It was a cultural reference from another story that's popular in our world. Boromir happens to resemble the actor who played one of our favorite characters."

"Yeah, I was so pissed when they killed him off." Kitty said. Both girls suddenly froze and their laughter died in their throats as they remembered how this story was supposed to end for Boromir. 'No wonder he's doomed…' Kitty thought soberly. 'He's this world's version of Sean Bean.'

The Company set out again, with good speed at first; but soon their way became steep and difficult. The twisting and climbing road had in many places almost disappeared, and was blocked with many fallen stones. The night grew deadly dark under great clouds. A bitter wind swirled among the rocks. By midnight they had climbed to the knees of the great mountains. Their narrow path now wound under a sheer wall of cliffs to the left, above which grim flanks of Caradhras towered up invisible in the gloom; on the right was a gulf of darkness where the land fell suddenly into a deep ravine.  
>Laboriously they climbed a sharp slope and halted for a moment at the top. Kitty felt a soft touch on her face as Devin held out her arm and saw the dim white flakes of snow settling on her sleeve. The two girls shared a wan smile. Normally they would have been positively delighted at the chance to see and touch some real snow, but they both knew what this would mean. Still, they had to try.<br>They went on. But before long the snow was falling fast, filling all the air, and swirling into their eyes. The dark bent shapes of Gandalf and Aragorn only a pace or two ahead could hardly be seen.

"What I wouldn't give for some ski goggles!" Kitty said as she struggled to shield her eyes, while Devin squinted against the cold flurry of white.

"I don't like this at all." Panted Sam to Frodo. "Snow's all right on a fine morning, but I like to be in bed while it's falling. I wish this lot would go off to Hobbiton! Folk might welcome it there." Except on the high moors of the Northfarthing a heavy fall was rare in the Shire, and regarded as a pleasant chance for fun. No living hobbit (save Bilbo) could remember the Fell Winter of 1311, when the white wolves invaded the Shire over the frozen Brandywine.  
>Snow was thick on Gandalf's hood and shoulders; it was already ankle-deep about his boots. He should have halted there to question their course, but he did not. Instead, they were stopped by a brief moment of panic when Frodo suddenly stumbled and took a tumble back down the path, but the girls, who were not far behind, quickly caught the hobbit and soon had him righted. Frodo quickly checked to see if the Ring was safe, and was horrified to find it and the chain missing from his neck. As they looked ahead to the ground where he had fallen, they saw that Boromir had already found them and now held the Ring aloft in his hand by the chain. The whole Company tensed when they saw this.<p>

"Boromir." Devin said, but he did not hear her.

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt… over so small a thing." Boromir mused as he stared at the Ring, mesmerized. "Such a little thing." He reached up to touch it with his other free hand.

"Boromir!" Aragorn said sternly, calling him back to himself. Boromir started as he realized what he was doing and quickly dropped his hand. "Give the ring to Frodo." Though his eyes were filled with reluctance, Boromir did as he was bid and slowly moved to return the Ring to its proper bearer.

"As you wish. I care not." Boromir said as he handed it back, but Frodo was quick to snatch it away before the man changed his mind, for his smile was false, and the look in his eyes did match the spirit of his words. Boromir chuckled and tried to laugh the incident off as he reached out and ruffled the hobbit's hair before turning and walking ahead once again. It was only after his back had been safely turned on Frodo and the Ring that Aragorn loosened his grip on the handle of his sword beneath his cloak, and Devin breathed a sigh of relief. However, Frodo felt another pair of eyes on the Ring and realized Kitty was staring at his charge with an unnerving intensity.

"Kitty?" He asked with an air of uncertainty, drawing the others' attention to this fact as well.

"Are you all right?" Devin asked worriedly, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. Kitty finally blinked and snapped out of her daze.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, it's nothing." Kitty said quickly, trying to shrug it off. "Hey, Devin, let's walk a little further up." She suggested a bit nervously, taking her friend's hand to lead her away as she put some distance between herself and temptation. Devin stared at her friend in concern as she followed, hoping the cause for Kitty's momentary distraction had simply been her usual fascination for shiny things kicking in, and nothing more sinister.

"Are you taking your meds regularly?" Devin whispered so the others wouldn't hear. Once they had decided to remain in this world and join Frodo and the others on their quest, Kitty had begun to hoard and ration her remaining pills for the long journey ahead, when she would undoubtedly need them most.

"Yes, yes." Kitty answered a bit impatiently, though she knew Devin was only looking out for her. Unlike others, she only asked such questions because Devin knew bipolar disorder was a chronic illness (like asthma) that required consistent and routine medication, and treated it as such. Kitty had been taking her pills every day since they left Rivendell, and had been careful not to let the others see because she didn't want them to know yet. She was afraid they would treat her differently once they did, that they would look at her with prejudice or pity because of her mental illness. Devin was the only one who had ever understood Kitty and how she wanted and needed to be treated.

"I wonder if this is not some contrivance of the Enemy." Said Boromir of the snow. "They say in my land that he can govern the storms in the Mountains of Shadow that stand upon borders of Mordor. He has strange powers and many allies."

"His arm has grown long indeed," said Gimli, "if he can draw snow down from the North to trouble us here three hundred leagues away."

"His arm has grown long." Said Gandalf.

While they were halted, the wind died down, and the snow slackened until it almost ceased. They tramped on again. But they had not gone more than a furlong when the storm returned with fresh fury. The wind whistled and the snow became a blinding blizzard. Soon even Boromir found it hard to keep going. The hobbits and Devin, bent nearly double, toiled along behind the taller folk, but it was plain that they could not go much further if the snow continued. Frodo's feet felt like lead. Pippin was dragging behind. Even Gimli, as stout as any dwarf could be, was grumbling as he trudged.  
>The Company halted suddenly, as if they had come to an agreement without any words being spoken. They heard eerie noises in the darkness round them. It may have been only a trick of the wind in the cracks and gullies of the rocky wall, but the sounds were those of shrill cries, and wild howls of laughter. Stones began to fall from the mountain-side, whistling over their heads, or crashing on the path beside them. Every now and again they heard a dull rumble, as a great boulder rolled down from hidden heights above.<p>

"We cannot go further tonight." Said Boromir. "Let those call it the wind who will; there are fell voices on the air; and these stones are aimed at us."

"I do call it the wind." Said Aragorn. "But that does not make what you say untrue. There are many evil and unfriendly things in the world that have little love for those who go on two legs, and yet are not in league with Sauron, but have purposes of their own. Some have been in this world longer than he."

"Caradhras was called the Cruel, and had an ill name," said Gimli, "long years ago, when rumor of Sauron had not been heard in these lands."

"It matters little who the enemy is, if we cannot beat off his attack." Said Gandalf.

"But what can we do?" cried Pippin miserably. He was leaning on Merry and Frodo, and he was shivering.

"Either stop where we are, or go back." Said Gandalf. "It is no good going on. Only a little higher, if I remember rightly, this path leaves the cliff and runs into a wide shallow trough at the bottom of a long hard slope. We should have no shelter there from snow, or stones—or anything else."

"And it is no good going back while the storm holds." Said Aragorn. "We have passed no place on the way up that offered more shelter than this cliff-wall we are under now."

"Shelter!" muttered Sam. "If this is shelter, then one wall and no roof make a house."

The Company now gathered together as close to the cliff as they could. It faced southwards, and near the bottom it leaned out a little, so that they hoped it would give them some protection from the northerly wind and from the falling stones. But eddying blasts swirled round them from every side, and the snow flowed down in even denser clouds. They huddled together with their backs to the wall. Bill the pony stood patiently but dejectedly in front of the hobbits and screened them a little; but before long the drifting snow was above his hocks, and it went on mounting. If they had no larger companions, the hobbits and Devin would soon have been entirely buried.  
>A great sleepiness came over her and Frodo, and they felt themselves sinking fast into warm and hazy dreams. But Devin soon felt herself shaken, and she came painfully back to awareness with the sting of a sharp slap across her face. Legolas, who had lifted her off the ground out of a nest of snow, was staring at Kitty with sharp, wide eyes. He had not expected her to strike Devin like that, but kitty had begun to panic upon finding her friend unconscious in the cold.<p>

"Don't fall asleep, damn it! You might never wake up again!" Kitty scolded her sleepy friend anxiously as she raised her hand to deliver another blow.

"I'm awake! I'm awake!" Devin said earnestly, holding her hands up to shield herself, while Boromir and Aragorn rescued Frodo and the rest of the hobbits.

"This will be the death of the halflings, Gandalf." Said Boromir. "It is useless to sit here until the snow goes over our heads. We must do something to save ourselves."

"Give them this." Said Gandalf, searching his pack and drawing out a leathern flask. "Just a little mouthful each—for all of us. It is very precious. It is _miruvor_, the cordial of Imladris. Elrond gave it to me at our parting. Pass it round!"

"What's a cordial?" Kitty asked.

"A medicinal drink." Devin answered through chattering teeth. As soon as she had swallowed a little of the warm and fragrant liquor she felt a new strength of heart, and her body stopped its violent shivering as the heavy drowsiness left her limbs. The others also received and found fresh hope and vigor.

"Wow, that's smooth!" Kitty praised the medicinal alcohol with wonder, deeply impressed with the elves' brewmanship. But the snow did not relent. It whirled around them thicker than ever, and the wind blew louder.

"What do you say to a fire?" asked Boromir suddenly. "The choice seems near now between fire and death, Gandalf. Doubtless we shall be hidden from all unfriendly eyes when the snow has covered us, but that will not help us."

"True that." Agreed Kitty.

"You may make a fire, if you can." Answered Gandalf. "If there are any watchers that can endure this storm, then they can see us, fire or no."

But though they had brought wood and kindlings by the advice of Boromir, it passed the skill of Elf or even Dwarf to strike a flame that would hold amid the swirling wind or catch in the wet fuel. At last, when Gandalf was about to reluctantly take a hand at it himself, the girls intervened and worked together to rearrange the wood and kindlings into a lean-to construction that would be more useful against the high winds, and placed something small, shiny and tan amongst the kindling that appeared to be something like a piece of wrapped toffee. They then shielded the flame of their lighter while they reached in and set the wrapper alight. As it burned, the thinner pieces of kindling began to dry from the heat, and they at last had a growing flame in their fire.

"I had no idea toffee was flammable!" Pippin said, amazed by the miracle they had worked.

"That wasn't toffee, it was a fire kiss. You make them by wrapping a piece of candle or wax inside waxed paper. It's a trick Devin picked up as a Girl Scout." Kitty explained while her friend continued to nurse the small flame. The great thing about fire kisses was that wax never got too damp or wet to burn, so they worked every time.  
>Whether the feat had been accomplished by magic, miracle, or ingenuity, the Company cared not. Their hearts rejoiced to see the light of the fire. Soon the wood was burning merrily; and though all round it the snow hissed, and pools of slush crept under their feet, they warmed their hands gladly at the blaze. There they stood, stooping in a circle round the little dancing and blowing flames. A red light was on their tired and anxious faces; behind them the night was like a black wall.<br>But the wood was burning fast, and the snow still fell.

The fire burned low, and the last faggot was thrown on.

"The night is getting old." Said Aragorn. "The dawn is not far off."

"If any dawn can pierce these clouds." Said Gimli. Boromir stepped out of the circle and stared up into the blackness.

"The snow is growing less," he said, "and the wind is quieter."

"Thank God for small mercies…" Devin mumbled wearily into her scarf.

Frodo gazed wearily at the flakes still falling out of the dark to be revealed white for a moment in the light of their dying fire; but for a long time he could see no sign of their slackening. Then suddenly, as sleep was beginning to creep over him again, he was aware that the wind had indeed fallen, and the flakes were becoming larger and fewer. Very slowly a dim light began to grow. At last the snow stopped altogether.  
>As the light grew stronger it showed a silent shrouded world. Below their refuge were white humps and domes and shapeless deeps beneath which the path that they had trodden was altogether lost; but the heights above were hidden in great clouds still heavy with the threat of snow.<p>

Gimli looked up and shook his head. "Caradhras has not forgiven us." He said. "He has more snow yet to fling at us if we go on, the sooner we go back and down the better."

To this all agreed, but their retreat was now difficult. It might well prove impossible. Only a few paces from the ashes of their fire the snow lay many feet deep, higher than the heads of the hobbits and Devin; in places it had been scooped up and piled by the wind into great drifts against the cliff.

"If Gandalf would go before us with a bright flame, he might melt a path for you." Said Legolas. The storm had troubled him little, and he alone of the Company remained still light of heart.

"If Elves could fly over mountains, they might fetch the Sun to save us." Answered Gandalf. "But I must have something to work on. I cannot burn snow."

"Why not?" Kitty asked, furrowing her brow.

"Because this isn't _Harry Potter_." retorted Devin before the wizard could snap. The rules concerning magic and wizards were different here.

"Well," said Boromir, "when heads are at a loss bodies must serve, as we say in my country. The strongest if us must seek a way. See! Though all is now snow-clad, our path, as we came up, turned about that shoulder of rock down yonder. It was there that the snow first began to burden us. If we could reach that point, maybe it prove easier beyond. It is no more than a furlong off, I guess."

"Then let us force a path thither, you and I!" said Aragorn.

Aragorn was the tallest of the Company, but Boromir, little less in height, was broader and heavier in build. He led the way, and Aragorn followed him. Slowly they moved off, and were soon toiling heavily. In places the snow was breast-high, and often Boromir seemed to be swimming or burrowing with his great arms rather than walking.  
>Legolas watched them for a while with a smile upon his lips, and then he turned to the others.<p>

"The strongest must seek a way, say you? But I say: let a ploughman plough, but choose an otter for swimming, and for running light over grass and leaf, or over snow—an Elf." With that he sprang forth nimbly, and then Frodo and Kitty noticed as if for the first time, though they had long known it, that the Elf wore only very thin and light boots, as he always did, and his feet made little imprint in the snow. "Farewell!" he said to Gandalf. "I go to find the Sun!" Then swift as a runner over firm sand he shot away, and quickly overtaking the toiling men, with a wave of his hand he passed them, and sped into the distance, and vanished round the rocky turn.

The others waited huddled together, watching until Boromir and Aragorn dwindled into black specks in the whiteness. At length they too passed from sight. The time dragged on. The clouds lowered, and now a few flakes of snow came curling down again. An hour, maybe, went by, though it seemed far longer, and then at last they saw Legolas coming back. At the same time, Boromir and Aragorn reappeared round the bend far behind him and came laboring up the slope.

"Well," cried Legolas as he ran up, "I have not brought the Sun. She is walking in the blue fields of the South, and a little wreath of snow on this Redhorn hillock troubles her not at all. But I have brought back a gleam of good hope for those who are doomed to go on feet. There is the greatest wind-drift of all just beyond the turn, and there our Strong Men were almost buried. They despaired, until I returned and told them that the drift was little wider than a wall. And further down it is no more than a white coverlet to cool a hobbit's toes."

"Ah, it is as I said." Growled Gimli. "It was no ordinary storm. It is the ill will of Caradhras. He does not love Elves and Dwarves, and that drift was laid to cut off our escape."

"But happily your Caradhras has forgotten that you have Men with you." Said Boromir, who came up at that moment. "And doughty Men too, if I may say it; though lesser men with spades may have served you better. Still we have thrust a lane through the drift; and for that all here may be grateful who cannot run as light as Elves."

"That's the best news I've heard all day!" said Kitty. "I guess you're pretty useful after all." Both men raised an eyebrow at the strange girl's comment.

"She means 'thank you'." Devin translated gratefully with a small smile, shaking her head as she looked wryly at her friend.

"But how are we to get down there, even if you have cut through the drift?" said Pippin, voicing the thought of all the hobbits.

"Have hope!" said Boromir. "I am weary, but I still have some strength left, and Aragorn too. We will bear the little folk. The others no doubt will make shift to tread the path behind us. Come, Master Peregrin! I shall begin with you." He lifted up the hobbit. "Cling to my back! I shall need my arms." He said as he strode forward. Aragorn with Merry, and Legolas with Devin came behind. Kitty was a bit jealous Devin had such a perfect excuse to be carried by the Elven hottie, but she also felt being able to see how bright-red her friend's cheeks were glowing as she tried to hide her face away in the Elf's hair made up for having to walk on her own feet.  
>Pippin marveled at Boromir's strength, seeing the passage that he had already forced with no other tool than his great limbs. Even now, burdened as he was, he was widening the track for those who followed, thrusting the snow aside as he went.<br>They came at length to the great drift. It was flung across the mountain-path like a sheer and sudden wall, and its crest, sharp as if shaped with knives, reared up more than twice the height of Boromir; but through the middle a passage had been beaten, rising and falling like a bridge. On the far side Merry, Pippin, and Devin were set down, and there they waited with Legolas for the rest of the company to arrive.  
>After a while Boromir returned carrying Sam. Behind in the narrow but now well-trodden track came Gandalf and Kitty, leading Bill with Gimli perched among the baggage. Last came Aragorn carrying Frodo. They passed through the lane; but hardly had Frodo touched the ground when with a deep rumble there rolled down a fall of stones and slithering snow. The spray of it half blinded the Company as they crouched against the cliff, and when the air cleared again they saw the path was blocked behind them.<p>

"Enough, enough!" cried Gimli. "We are departing as quickly as we may!" And indeed with that last stroke the malice of the mountain seemed to be expended, as if Caradhras was satisfied that the invaders had been beaten off and would not dare to return. The threat of snow lifted; the clouds began to break and the light grew broader.  
>As Legolas had reported, they found that the snow became steadily more shallow as they went down, so that even the hobbits could trudge along. Soon they all stood once more on the flat shelf at the head of the steep slope where they had felt the first flakes of snow the night before.<br>The morning was now far advanced. From the high place they looked back westwards over the lower lands. Far away in the tumble of country that lay at the foot of the mountain was the dell from which they had started to climb the pass.  
>Frodo's legs ached. He was chilled to the bone and hungry; and his head was dizzy as he thought of the long and painful march down hill. Black specks swam before his eyes. He rubbed them, but the black specks remained. In the distance below him, but still high above the lower foothills, dark dots were circling in the air.<p>

"The birds again!" said Aragorn, pointing down.

"That cannot be helped now." Said Gandalf. "Whether they are good or evil, or have nothing to do with us at all, we must go down at once. Not even on the knees of Caradhras will we wait for another night-fall!"

A cold wind flowed down behind them, as they turned their backs on the Redhorn Gate, and stumbled wearily down the slope. Caradhras had defeated them.


	16. Chapter 16

**Previously:**

_They passed through the lane; but hardly had Frodo touched the ground when with a deep rumble there rolled down a fall of stones and slithering snow. The spray of it half blinded the Company as they crouched against the cliff, and when the air cleared again they saw the path was blocked behind them._

_"Enough, enough!" cried Gimli. "We are departing as quickly as we may!" And indeed with that last stroke the malice of the mountain seemed to be expended, as if Caradhras was satisfied that the invaders had been beaten off and would not dare to return. The threat of snow lifted; the clouds began to break and the light grew broader._  
><em>As Legolas had reported, they found that the snow became steadily more shallow as they went down, so that even the hobbits could trudge along. Soon they all stood once more on the flat shelf at the head of the steep slope where they had felt the first flakes of snow the night before.<em>  
><em>The morning was now far advanced. From the high place they looked back westwards over the lower lands. Far away in the tumble of country that lay at the foot of the mountain was the dell from which they had started to climb the pass.<em>  
><em>Frodo's legs ached. He was chilled to the bone and hungry; and his head was dizzy as he thought of the long and painful march down hill. Black specks swam before his eyes. He rubbed them, but the black specks remained. In the distance below him, but still high above the lower foothills, dark dots were circling in the air.<em>

_"The birds again!" said Aragorn, pointing down._

_"That cannot be helped now." Said Gandalf. "Whether they are good or evil, or have nothing to do with us at all, we must go down at once. Not even on the knees of Caradhras will we wait for another night-fall!"_

_A cold wind flowed down behind them, as they turned their backs on the Redhorn Gate, and stumbled wearily down the slope. Caradhras had defeated them._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16: Assault on the Hill<br>**

* * *

><p>It was evening, and the grey light was waning fast, when they halted for the night. They were very weary. The mountains were veiled in deepening dusk, and the wind was cold. Gandalf spared them one more mouthful each of the <em>miruvor<em> of Rivendell. When they had eaten some food he called a council.

"We cannot, of course, go on again tonight." He said. "The attack of the Redhorn Gate has tired us out, and we must rest here for a while."

"And then where are we to go?" asked Frodo.

"We still have our journey and our errand before us." Answered Gandalf. "We have no choice but to go on, or to return to Rivendell." Pippin's face brightened visibly at the mere mention of return to Rivendell; Merry and Sam looked up hopefully. But Aragorn and Boromir made no sign. The girls and Frodo looked troubled.

"I wish I was back there." He said. "But how can I return without shame—unless there is no other way, and we are already defeated?"

"You are right, Frodo," said Gandalf: "to go back is to admit defeat, and face worse defeat to come. If we go back now, then the Ring must remain there: we shall not be able to set out again. Then sooner or later Rivendell will be besieged, and after a brief and bitter time it will be destroyed. The Ringwraiths are deadly enemies, but they are only shadows yet of the power and terror they would possess if the Ring was on their master's hand again."

"Then we must go on, if there is a way." Said Frodo with a sigh. Sam sank back into gloom.

"There is a way that we may attempt." Said Gandalf. "I thought from the beginning, when I first considered this journey that we should try it. But it is not a pleasant way, and I have not spoken of it to the Company before. Aragorn and Devin were against it, until the pass over the mountains had at least been tried." Upon hearing this, Devin found the eyes of several members of the Company on herself. However, Kitty was not one of them. It came as no surprise to her that Devin had caved and tried to forewarn Gandalf despite all her talk of not interfering; she was too nice.

"If it is a worse road than the Redhorn Gate, then it must be evil indeed." Said Merry. "But you had better tell us about it, and let us know the worst at once."

"The road that I speak of leads to the Mines of Moria." Said Gandalf. Only Gimli lifted up his head; a smoldering fire was in his eyes. On all the others a dread fell at the mention of that name. Even to the Hobbits it was as a legend of vague fear.

"The road may lead to Moria, but how can we hope that it will lead through Moria?" said Aragorn darkly.

"It is a name of ill omen." Said Boromir. "Nor do I see need to go there. If we cannot cross the mountains, let us journey southwards, until we come to the Gap of Rohan, where men are friendly to my people, taking the road that I followed on my way hither. Or we might pass by and cross the Isen into Langstrand and Lebennin, and so come to Gondor from regions nigh to the sea."

"Things have changed since you came north, Boromir." Answered Gandalf. "Did you not hear what I told you of Saruman? With him I may have business of my own ere all is over. But the Ring must not come near Isengard, if that can by any means be prevented. The Gap of Rohan is closed to us while we go with the Bearer.  
>"As for the longer road: we cannot afford the time. We might spend a year in such a journey, and we should pass through many lands that are empty and haborless. Yet they would not be safe. The watchful eyes both of Saruman and of the Enemy, are on them. When you came north, Boromir, you were in the Enemy's eyes only one stray wanderer from the South and matter of small concern to him: his mind was busy with the pursuit of the Ring. But you return now as a member of the Ring's Company, and you are in peril as long as you remain with us. The danger will increase with every league that we go south under the naked sky.<br>"Since our open attempt on the mountain-pass our plight has become more desperate, I fear. I see now little hope, if we do not soon vanish from sight for a while, and cover our trail. Therefore I advise that we should go neither over the mountains, nor round them, but under them. That is a road at any rate that the Enemy will least expect us to take."

"We do not know what he expects." Said Boromir. "He may watch all roads, likely and unlikely. In that case to enter Moria would be to walk into a trap, hardly better than knocking at the gates of the Dark Tower itself. The name of Moria is black."

"You speak of what you do not know, when you liken Moria to the stronghold of Sauron." Answered Gandalf. "I alone of you have ever been in the dungeons of the Dark Lord, and only in his lesser dwelling in Dol Guldur. Those who pass the gates of Barad-dûr do not return. But I would not lead you into Moria if there were no hope of us coming out again. If there are Orcs there, it may prove ill for us, that is true. But most of the Orcs of the Misty Mountains were scattered or destroyed in the Battle of Five Armies. The Eagles report that Orcs are gathering again from afar; but there is a hope that Moria is still free. However it may prove, one must tread the path that need chooses!"

"I will tread the path with you, Gandalf!" said Gimli. "I will go and look on the halls of Durin, whatever may wait there—if you can find the doors that are shut."

"Good, Gimli!" said Gandalf. "You encourage me. We will seek the hidden doors together. And we will come through. In the ruins of the Dwarves, a dwarf's head will be less easy to bewilder than Elves or Men or Hobbits. Yet it will not be the first time that I have been to Moria. I sought there long for Thráin son of Thrór after he was lost. I passed through, and I came out again alive!"

"I too once passed the Dimrill Gate," said Aragorn quietly; "but though I also came out again, the memory is very evil. I do not wish to enter Moria a second time."

"And I do not wish to enter it even once." Said Pippin.

"Nor me." Muttered Sam.

"Of course not!" said Gandalf. "Who would? But the question is: who will follow me, if I lead you there?"

"I will." Said Gimli eagerly.

"I will." Said Aragorn heavily. "You followed my lead almost to disaster in the snow, and have said no word of blame. I will follow your lead now—if this last warning does not move you. It is not of the Ring, nor of us others that I am thinking now, but of you, Gandalf. And I say to you: if you pass through the doors of Moria, beware!" His words seemed an eerie and uncanny echo of the warning Devin had given the wizard only a couple days before, though she had in fact been quoting Aragorn. Gandalf looked to her and Kitty now.

"I will also follow your lead, whatever path you choose." Devin said somberly with a grave expression and utmost respect for the wizard.

"Yeah, me too." Kitty agreed seriously.

"I will _not_ go," said Boromir; "not unless the vote of the whole company is against me. What do Legolas and the little folk say? The Ring-bearer's voice surely should be heard?"

"I do not wish to go to Moria." Said Legolas, though his tone implied he may, given no other choice. The hobbits said nothing. Sam looked at Frodo. At last Frodo spoke.

"I do not wish to go," he said; "but neither do I wish to refuse the advice of Gandalf. I beg that there should be no vote, until we have slept on it. Gandalf will get votes easier in the morning than in this cold gloom. How the wind howls!"  
>At these words all fell into silent thought. They heard the wind hissing among the rocks and trees, and there was a howling and wailing round them in the empty spaces of the night.<p>

Suddenly Devin and Aragorn both leapt to their feet.

"Time to go!" She said urgently as he cried: "How the wind howls!"

"It is howling with wolf-voices." Exclaimed Aragorn. "The Wargs have come west of the mountains!"

"Need we wait till morning then?" Said Gandalf. "It is as I said. The hunt is up! Even if we live to see the dawn, who now will wish to journey south by night with the wild wolves on his trail?"

"How far is Moria?" asked Boromir.

"There was a door south-west of Caradhras, some fifteen miles as the crow flies, and maybe twenty as the wolf runs." Answered Gandalf grimly.

"We have no hope of outrunning them in the dark, but of we climb to the top of this hill, and make a stand there, we will survive the night." Said Devin with comforting certainty.

"Then let us start as soon as it is light tomorrow, if we can." Said Boromir. "The wolf that one hears is worse than the orc that one fears."

"True!" said Aragorn, loosening his sword in its sheath. "But where the warg howls, there also the orc prowls."

"I wish I had taken Elrond's advice." Muttered Pippin to Sam. "I am no good after all. There is not enough of the breed of Bandobras the Bullroarer in me: these howls freeze my blood. I don't ever remember feeling so wretched."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of." Said Devin, who had overheard. "Being courageous doesn't mean that you aren't afraid. It means that you have the inner strength to embrace being afraid and still move forward. Don't let fear stop you. Courage is like a muscle; we strengthen it with use."

"Yeah, feel the fear and do it anyway!" said Kitty.

"My heart's right down in my toes, Mr. Pippin." Said Sam. "But we aren't eten yet, and there are some stout folk here with us. Whatever may be in store for old Gandalf, I'll wager it isn't a wolf's belly."

For their defense in the night the Company followed Devin's advice, and climbed to the top of the small hill under which they had been sheltering. It was crowned with a knot of old and twisted trees, about which lay a broken circle of boulder-stones. In the midst of this they lit a fire, for there was no hope that darkness and silence would keep their trail from discovery by the hunting packs.  
>Round the fire they sat, and those not on guard dozed uneasily. Poor Bill the pony trembled and sweated where he stood. The howling of the wolves was now all round them, sometimes nearer and sometimes further off. In the dead of night many shining eyes were seen peering over the brow off the hill. Some advanced almost to the ring of stones. At a gap in the circle a great dark wolf-shape could be seen halted, gazing at them. A shuddering howl broke from him, as if he were a captain summoning his pack to the assault. Gandalf strode forward, holding his staff aloft.<p>

"Listen, Hound of Sauron!" he cried. "Gandalf is here. Fly, if you value your fowl skin! I will shrivel you from tail to snout, if you come within this ring."

The wolf snarled and sprang towards them with a great leap. At that moment there was a sharp twang. Legolas had loosed his bow. There was a hideous yell, and the leaping shape thudded to the ground; the elvish arrow had pierced its throat. The watching eyes were suddenly extinguished. Gandalf and Aragorn strode forward, but the hill was deserted; the hunting packs had fled. All about them the darkness grew silent, and no cry came on the sighing wind.

"Stay on your guard." Devin advised. "They will be back before the night is over."

The night was old, and westward the waning moon was setting, gleaming fitfully through the breaking clouds. Suddenly Frodo started from sleep. Without warning a storm of howls broke out fierce and wild all about the camp. A great host of Wargs had gathered silently and was now attacking them from every side at once.

"Fling fuel on the fire!" cried Gandalf to the hobbits. "Draw your blades, and stand back to back!"

In the leaping light, as the fresh wood blazed up, Frodo saw many grew shapes spring over the ring of stones. More and more followed. Through the throat of one huge leader Aragorn passed his sword with a thrust; with a great sweep Boromir hewed the head off another. Devin skillfully dodged fanged jaws and slit their owners' throats with her daggers; Kitty slashed away with her elvish blade. Beside them Gimli stood with his stout legs apart, wielding his dwarf-axe. The bow of Legolas was singing.  
>In the firelight Gandalf seemed to suddenly grow: he rose up, a great menacing shape like the monument of some ancient king of stone set upon a hill. Stooping like a cloud, he lifted a burning branch and strode to meet the wolves. They gave back before him. High in the air he tossed the blazing brand. It flared with a sudden white radiance like lightning; and his voice rolled like thunder.<p>

_"Naur an edraith ammen! Naur dan i ngaurhoth!"_ he cried.

There was a roar and a crackle, and the tree above him burst into a leaf and bloom of blinding flame. The fire leapt from tree-top to tree-top. The whole hill was crowned with dazzling light. The swords and knives of the defenders shone and flickered. The last arrow of Legolas kindled in the air as it flew, and plunged burning into the heart of a great wolf-chieftain. All the others fled.

Slowly the fire died till nothing was left but falling ash and sparks; a bitter smoke curled above the burned tree-stumps, and blew darkly from the hill, as the first light of dawn came dimly in the sky. Their enemies were routed and did not return.

"What did I tell you, Mr. Pippin?" said Sam, sheathing his sword. "Wolves won't get him. That was an eye-opener, and no mistake! Nearly singed the hair off my head!"

"You fought surprisingly well." Boromir told the girls.

"What part of 'we kick butt' don't you understand?" Kitty retorted saucily as they also sheathed their blades. "Not only are you looking at a broomstick-fighting champion, but Devin's father has taken us on tons of hunting trips. Plus, you have to be fierce to be a cheerleader." Every time Devin let herself be thrown as a flyer, she was risking a possible broken neck; and as a member of the base doing the catching, she had learned how to take a kick to face without flinching so as not to drop the flyer entrusting her with their safety.

"Broomstick-fighting?" asked Merry.

"Yes. It's like sword-fighting, only with brooms." Kitty explained, grinning at the memory how badly she used to own her brother at it.

"Oh." He said, blinking.

"I had no idea the two of you were so skilled." Said Aragorn to Devin. "I could have used your help hunting for food during our journey from Bree to Rivendell."

"Sorry about that." Devin apologized wryly with a small smile. "While it's true that my father taught me how to hunt and stalk prey, my skills are no match for yours, and I dislike killing when it can be avoided." Besides, they had been taught how to hunt using guns, not by bow and arrow, which was much more difficult to master.

When the full light of the morning came no signs of the wolves were to be found, and they looked in vain for the bodies of the dead. No trace of the fight remained but the charred trees and the arrows of Legolas lying on the hill-top. All were undamaged save one of which only the point was left.

"It is as I feared." Said Gandalf. "These were no ordinary wolves hunting for food in the wilderness. Let us eat quickly and go!"

That day the weather changed again, almost as if it was to the command of some power that had no longer any use for snow, since they had retreated from the pass, a power that wished now to have a clear light in which things that moved in the wild could be seen from far away. The wind had been turning through north to north-west during the night, and now it failed. The clouds vanished southwards and the sky was opened, high and blue. As they stood upon the hill side, ready to depart, a pale sunlight gleamed over the mountain-tops.

"We must reach the doors before sunset," said Gandalf, "or I fear we shall not reach them at all. It is not far, but our path may be winding, for here Aragorn cannot guide us; he has seldom walked in this country, and only once have I been under the west wall of Moria, and that was long ago.  
>"There it lies." He said, pointing away south-eastwards to where the mountains' sides fell sheer into the shadows at their feet. In the distance could be dimly seen a line of bare cliffs, and in their midst, taller than the rest, one great grey wall. "When we left the pass I led you southwards, and not back to our starting point, as some of you may have noticed. It is well that I did so, for now we have several miles less to cross, and haste is needed. Let us go!"<p>

"I do not know which to hope," said Boromir grimly: "that Gandalf will find what he seeks, or that coming to the cliff we shall find the gates lost forever. All choices seem ill, and to be caught between wolves and the wall the likeliest chance. Lead on!"

Gimli now walked ahead by the wizard's side, so eager was he to come to Moria. Together they led the Company back towards the mountains. The only road of old to Moria from the west had lain along the course of a stream, the Sirannon, that ran out from the feet of the cliffs near where the doors had stood. But either Gandalf was a astray, or else the land had changed in recent years; for he did not strike the stream where he looked to find it, only a few miles southwards from their start.

"The stream has been dammed near the cliffs." Devin informed them. "We would do better to search for the remains of a dry bed."

The morning was passing towards noon, and still the Company wandered and scrambled in a barren country of red stones. As predicted, nowhere could they see any gleam of water or hear any sound of it. All was bleak and dry. Their hearts sank. They saw no living thing, and not a bird was in the sky; but what the night would bring, if it caught them in that lost land, none of them cared to think.  
>Suddenly Gimli, who had pressed on ahead, called back to them. He was standing on a knoll and pointing to the right. Hurrying up they saw below them a deep and narrow channel. It was empty and silent, and hardly a trickle of water flowed among the brown and red-stained stones of its bed; but on the near side there was a path, much broken and decayed, that wound its way among the ruined walls and paving-stones of an ancient highroad.<p>

"Ah! Here it is at last!" said Gandalf. "This is where the stream ran: Sirannon, the Gate-stream, they used to call it. But I wonder how the water came to be dammed; it used to be swift and noisy. Come! We must hurry on. We are late."

The Company were footsore and tired; but they trudged doggedly along the rough and winding track for many miles. The sun turned from the noon and began to go west. After a brief halt and a hasty meal they went on again. Before them the mountains frowned, but their path lay in a deep trough of land and they could see only the higher shoulders and the far eastward peaks.  
>At length they came to a sharp bend. There the road, which had been veering southwards between the brink of the channel and a steep fall of the land to the left, turned and went due east again. Rounding the corner they saw before them a low cliff, some five fathoms high, with a broken and jagged top. Over it a trickling water dripped, through a wide cleft that seemed to have been carved out by a fall that had once been strong and full.<p>

"Indeed things have changed!" said Gandalf. "But there is no mistaking the place. There is all that remains of the Stair Falls. If I remember right, there was a flight of steps cut in the rock at their side, but the main road wound away left and climbed with several loops up to the level ground at the top. There used to be a shallow valley beyond the falls right up to the Walls of Moria, and the Sirannon flowed through it with the road beside it. Let us go and see what things are like now!"

They found the stone steps without difficulty, and Gimli sprang swiftly up them, followed by Gandalf and Frodo.

"Frodo, come and help an old man." The wizard said, putting an arm around the hobbit as he pretended to lean on him for support. "How is your shoulder?" He asked in a low voice.

"Better than it was." Answered Frodo.

"And the Ring? You feel its power growing, don't you?" said Gandalf. "I've felt it too. You must be careful now. Evil will be drawn to you from outside the Fellowship. And, I fear, from within."

"Who then do I trust?" asked Frodo.

"You must trust yourself." Answered Gandalf. "Trust your own strengths."

"What do you mean?" asked Frodo warily. He was beginning to get a dreadful sinking feeling that the old wizard was preparing to part with him.

"There are many powers in this world, for good or for evil." Said Gandalf. "Some are greater than I am. And against some I have not yet been tested."

When they reached the top they saw that they could go no further that way, and the reason for the drying up of the Gate-stream was revealed. Behind them the sinking Sun filled the cool western sky with glimmering gold. Before them stretched a dark still lake. Neither sky nor sunset was reflected on its sullen surface. As Devin had said the Sirannon had been dammed and had filled all the valley. Beyond the ominous water were reared vast cliffs, their stern faces pallid in the fading light: final and impassable. No sign of gate or entrance, not a fissure or crack could Frodo see in the Frowning stone.

"There are the Walls of Moria." Said Gandalf, pointing across the water. "And there the Gate stood once upon a time, the Elven Door at the end of the road from Hollin by which we have come. But this way is blocked. None of the Company, I guess, will wish to swim this gloomy water at the end of the day. It has an unwholesome look."

"We must find a way round the northern edge." Said Gimli. "The first thing for the Company to do is to climb up by the main path and see where that will lead us. Even if there were no lake, we could not get our baggage-pony up this stair."

"But in any case we cannot take the poor beast into the mines." Said Gandalf. "The road under the mountains is a dark road, and there are places narrow and steep which he cannot tread, even if we can."

"Poor old Bill!" said Frodo. "I had not thought of that. And poor Sam! I wonder what he will say?"

"I am sorry." Said Gandalf. "Poor Bill has been a useful companion, and it goes to my heart to turn him adrift now. I would have traveled lighter and brought no animal, least of all this one Sam is so fond of, if I had my way. I feared all along that we should be obliged to take this road."

The day was drawing to its end, and cold stars were glinting in the sky high above the sunset, when the Company, with all the speed they could, climbed up the slopes and reached the side of the lake. In breadth it looked to be no more than two or three furlongs at the widest point. How far it stretched away southward they could not see in the failing light; but its northern end was no more than half a mile from where they stood, and between the stony ridges that enclosed the valley and the water's edge there was a rim of open ground. They hurried forward, for they had still a mile or two to go before they could reach the point on the far shore that Gandalf was making for; and then he still had to find the doors.


	17. Chapter 17

**Previously:**

_The day was drawing to its end, and cold stars were glinting in the sky high above the sunset, when the Company, with all the speed they could, climbed up the slopes and reached the side of the lake. In breadth it looked to be no more than two or three furlongs at the widest point. How far it stretched away southward they could not see in the failing light; but its northern end was no more than half a mile from where they stood, and between the stony ridges that enclosed the valley and the water's edge there was a rim of open ground. They hurried forward, for they had still a mile or two to go before they could reach the point on the far shore that Gandalf was making for; and then he still had to find the doors._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17: A Journey in the Dark<strong>

* * *

><p>When they came to the northernmost corner of the lake they found a narrow creek that barred their way. It was green and stagnant, thrust out like a slimy arm towards the enclosing hills. Gimli strode forward undeterred, and found that the water was shallow, no more than ankle-deep at the edge. Behind him they walked in file, treading their way with care, for under the weedy pools were sliding and greasy stones, and footing was treacherous. Frodo shuddered with disgust at the touch of the dark unclean water on his feet. Devin would have slipped and fallen in had Legolas not caught her in time. He held her steady the rest of the way, despite her embarrassed and blushing claims that it was no longer necessary.<br>As Sam, the last of the Company, led Bill up on to the dry ground on the side, there came a soft sound: a swish, followed by a plop, as if a fish had disturbed the still surface of the water. Turning quickly they saw the ripples, black-edged with shadow in the waning light: great rings were widening outwards from a point far out on the lake. There was a bubbling noise, and then silence. The girls exchanged a wary glance. The dusk deepened, and the last gleams of the sunset were veiled in cloud.  
>Gandalf now pressed on at a great pace, and the others followed as quickly as they could. They reached the strip of dry land between the lake and the cliffs: it was narrow, often hardly a dozen yards across, and encumbered with fallen rock and stones; but they found a way, hugging the cliff, and keeping as far from the dark water as they might. A mile southwards along the shore they came upon holly trees. Stumps and dead boughs were rotting in the shallows, the remains it seemed of old thickets, or of a hedge that had once lined the road across the drowned valley. But close under the cliff there stood, still strong and living, two tall trees, larger than any trees of holly that Frodo had ever seen or imagined. Their great roots spread from the wall to the water. Under the looming cliffs they had looked like mere bushes, when seen far off from the top of the Stair; but now they towered overhead, stiff, dark, and silent, throwing deep night-shadows about their feet, standing like sentinel pillars at the end of the road.<p>

"Well, here we are at last!" said Gandalf. "Here the Elven-way from Hollin ended. Holly was the token of the people of that land, and they planted it here to mark the end of their domain; for the West-door was made chiefly for their use in their traffic with the Lords of Moria. Those were happier days, when there was still close friendship at times between folk of difference race, even between Dwarves and Elves."

"It was not the fault of the Dwarves that the friendship waned." Said Gimli.

"I have not heard that it was the fault of the Elves." Said Legolas.

"I have heard both," said Gandalf, while Kitty rolled her eyes at them; "and I will not give judgment now. But I beg you two, Legolas and Gimli, at least to be friends, and to help me. I need you both. The doors are shut and hidden, and the sooner we find them the better. Night is at hand!" Turning to the others he said: "While I am searching, will each of you make ready to enter the Mines? For here I fear we must say farewell to our good beast of burden. You must lay aside much of the stuff that we brought against bitter weather: you will not need it inside, nor, I hope, when we come through and journey on down into the South. Instead each of us must take a share of what the pony carried, especially the food and the water-skins."

"But you can't leave poor old Bill behind in this forsaken place, Mr. Gandalf!" cried Sam, angry and distressed. "I won't have it, and that's flat. After he has come so far and all!"

"I am sorry, Sam." Said the wizard. "But when the Door opens I do not think you will be able to drag your Bill inside, into the long dark of Moria. You will have to choose between Bill and your master."

"He'd follow Mr. Frodo into a dragon's den, if I led him." Protested Sam. "It'd be nothing short of murder to turn him loose with all these wolves about."

"It will be short of murder, I hope." Said Gandalf.

"Then your hope is well placed." Said Kitty confidently. "… Tell 'em, Devin." She remembered things ending very well for old Bill, though she couldn't recall any details at the moment.

"You've forgotten a part of the story again, haven't you?" Devin said wryly with a shake of her head. "Believe it or not, Sam, parting with Bill here is the best you can do for him. _We_ are the ones being hunted. Once he is no longer with us, the enemy will overlook him, and he will be able to safely make his way all the way back to Bree unscathed. Unlike the rest of us, he will be spared the hardships and dangers that will yet befall us before our journey ends…" here she paused for a moment with a shadow of fear and sadness in her eyes, but she quickly shook herself and recovered the small smile that had fallen from her lips. "But perhaps you would feel better if you knew he went forth under the protection of a special blessing, if Gandalf would be so kind?"

"I would, and gladly." Said Gandalf. He laid his hand on the pony's head, and spoke in a low voice. "Go with words of guard and guiding on you." He said. "You are a wise beast, and have learned much in Rivendell. Make your ways to places where you can find grass, and so come in time to Elrond's house, or Bree, or wherever you wish to go."

"There, Sam!" Kitty said brightly once the wizard had finished. "He will have just as a good a chance of escaping the wolves and getting home as we have, maybe even better."

Sam stood sullenly by the pony and returned no answer. Despite all their reassurances, he couldn't help but worry, and was still reluctant to part with his faithful friend. Bill, seeming to understand well what was going on, nuzzled up to him, putting his nose to Sam's ear. Sam burst into tears, and fumbled with the straps, unlading all the pony's packs and throwing them on the ground. The others sorted out the goods, making a pile of all that could be left behind, and dividing up the rest.  
>When this was done they turned to watch Gandalf. He appeared to have done nothing. He was standing between the two trees gazing at the blank wall of the cliff, as if he would bore a hole into it with his eyes. Gimli was wandering about, tapping the stone here and there with his axe. Legolas was pressed against the rock, as if listening.<p>

"Well, here we are and all ready," said Merry; "but where are the Doors? I can't see any sign of them."

"Dwarf doors are not made to be seen when shut." Said Gimli.

"Yes, they are invisible; and their own masters cannot find them, or open them, if their secrets are forgotten." Said Gandalf.

"Why does that not surprise me?" said Legolas dryly. Kitty raised an eyebrow and smiled wryly as she shared a look with Devin. Someone was feeling spicy tonight.

"But this Door was not made to be a secret known only to the Dwarves." Devin reminded them. "Eyes that know what to look for may discover the signs, with a little help from the moonlight."

Gandalf seemed to understand her meaning, for the wizard suddenly came to life and turned round. He walked forward to the wall. Right between the shadow of the trees there was a smooth space, and over this he passed his hands to and fro, muttering words under his breath. Then he stepped back.

"Look!" he said. "Can you see anything now?"

The Moon now shone upon the grey face of the rock; but they could see nothing else for a while. Then slowly on the surface, where the wizard's hands had passed, faint lines appeared, like slender veins of silver running in the stone. At first they were no more than pale gossamer-threads, so fine that they only twinkled fitfully where the Moon caught them, but steadily they grew broader and clearer, until their design could be guessed.  
>At the top, as high as Gandalf could reach, was an arch of interlacing letters in an Elvish character. Below, though the threads were in places blurred or broken, the outline could be seen of an anvil and a hammer surmounted by a crown with seven stars. Beneath these again were two trees, each bearing crescent moons. More clearly than all else there shone forth in the middle of the door a single star with many rays.<p>

"There are the emblems of Durin!" cried Gimli.

"And there is the Tree of the High Elves!" said Legolas.

"And the Star of the House of Fëanor." Said Gandalf. "They are wrought of _ithildin_ that mirrors only starlight and moonlight, and sleeps until it is touched by one who speaks words now long forgotten in Middle-earth. It is long since I heard them, and I thought deeply before I could recall them to mind." He now understood why Devin had waited until the moon had begun to rise before saying anything. They would not have been able to read the inscription on the arch of the Door any sooner.

"What does the writing say?" asked Frodo, who was trying to decipher it. "I thought I knew the elf-letters, but I cannot read these."

"The words are in the elven-tongue of the West of Middle-earth in the Elder Days." Answered Gandalf. "But they do not say anything of importance to us." At this the two girls exchange a knowing glance. "They say only: _The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter._ And underneath small and faint is written: _I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs._"

"What does it mean by _speak, friend, and enter?"_ asked Merry.

"That is plain enough." Said Gimli. "If you are a friend, speak the password, and the doors will open, and you can enter."

"Alright, guys, step aside! I got this." Kitty declared confidently, deciding to save them all some time by stepping up to the mat. She stood before the Door bold as brass as her next word rang proudly from her lips. "Melon." Silence fell as she and the rest of the Company stared at the Door expectantly, waiting for it to open. Pippin coughed. Devin bowed her head and face-palmed.

"It's _mellon!"_ She corrected her linguistically challenged friend. The moment the correctly pronounced Elvish word left her lips, the star shone out briefly, and the lines of _ithildin _faded. Then silently a great doorway was outlined, though not a crack or joint had been visible before. Slowly it divided in the middle and swung outwards inch by inch, until both doors lay back against the wall. Through the opening a shadowy stair could be seen climbing steeply up; but beyond the lower steps the darkness was deeper than the night. The Company stared in wonder.

"Ah, I see. I was wrong after all," said Gandalf, "and Gimli too. Merry, of all people, was on the right track. The opening word was inscribed on the archway all the time! The translation should have been: _Say 'Friend' and enter._ We had only to speak the Elvish word for _friend_ and the door would open. Quite simple. Too simple for a learned lore master in these suspicious days. Those were happier times. Now let us go!"

He strode forward and set his foot on the lowest step. But at that moment several things happened. Frodo felt Devin suddenly wrap her arms tightly around him, and she spun round, moving him out of harm's way, as he let out a cry of surprise. Kitty yelled in alarm as Devin felt the thing she had been prepared to protect Frodo from seize her instead, and she quickly released Frodo as she fell. Bill the Pony gave a wild neigh of fear, and turned tail and dashed away along the lakeside into the darkness. Sam leaped after him, and then hearing Frodo's cry he ran back again, weeping and cursing. The others swung round and saw the waters of the lake seething, as if a host of snakes were swimming up from the southern end.  
>Out from the water a long sinuous tentacle had crawled; it was pale-green and luminous and wet. Its fingered end had hold of Devin's foot, and it was dragging her into the water. Kitty was locked in a tug-of-war with the watcher in the lake, holding onto Devin while she stabbed at the tentacle around her ankle with one of her daggers. Sam was pulling a stunned Frodo out of the way as another tentacle reached for him. Seeing Devin in danger, Legolas immediately drew his bow and loosed an arrow at the source of the mass of tentacles. The arms let go of Devin and retreated from Frodo, and Kitty and Sam dragged them away, crying out for help. Twenty other arms came rippling out. The dark water boiled, and there was a hideous stench.<p>

"Into the gateway! Up the stairs! Quick!" shouted Gandalf leaping back. Rousing them from the horror that had routed all but Sam, Kitty, Devin, and Legolas to the ground where they stood, he drove them forward.

They were just in time. Kitty and Devin were only a few steps up, and Gandalf had just begun to climb, when the groping tentacles writhed across the narrow shore and fingered the cliff-wall and the doors. One came wriggling over the threshold, glistening in the starlight. Gandalf turned and paused. If he was considering what word would close the gate from within, there was no need. Many coiling arms seized the doors on either side, and with horrible strength, swung them round. With a shattering echo they slammed, and all light was lost. A noise of rending and crashing came dully through the ponderous stone. Sam, clinging to Frodo's arm, collapsed on a step in the black darkness.

"Poor old Bill!" he said in a choking voice. "Poor old Bill! Wolves and snakes! But the snakes proved too much for him. I had to choose, Mr. Frodo. I had to come with you."

"Don't worry, Sam." Devin said, panting. "That thing was too busy dealing with us to bother Bill. He got away, I'm sure of it."

They heard Gandalf go back down the steps and thrust his staff against the doors. There was a quiver in the stone and the stairs trembled, but the doors did not open.

"Well, well!" said the wizard. "The passage is blocked behind us now, and there is only one way out—on the other side of the mountains. I fear from the sounds that boulders have been piled up, and the trees uprooted and thrown across the gate. I am sorry; for the trees were beautiful, and had stood so long."

"I felt that something horrible was near from the moment that my foot first touched the water." Said Frodo. "What was the thing, or were there many of them?"

"I think it was some kind of icosapus." Said Devin.

"A what?" Merry, Pippin, and Kitty all asked dubiously.

"Well, it had twenty tentacles." Devin answered calmly.

"I love how you automatically knew the geometry term for twenty was _icosa_." Said Kitty. They could hear the grin in her voice.

"I do not know," said Gandalf in answer to Frodo's question as if he hadn't heard the odd exchange between the girls; "but the arms were all guided by one purpose. Something has crept, or has been driven out of dark waters under the mountains. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world." He did not speak his thought aloud that whatever it was that dwelt in the lake, it had only seized on Devin first among all the Company because she had protected Frodo. She had obviously been expecting such an occurrence and had been prepared to fight back all along.  
>Boromir muttered under his breath, but the echoing stone magnified the sound to a hoarse whisper that all could hear:<p>

"In the deep places of the world! And thither we are going against my wish. Who will lead us now in this deadly dark?"

"I will," said Gandalf, "and Gimli shall walk with me. Follow my staff!"

As the wizard passed on ahead up the great steps, he held his staff aloft, and from its tip there came a faint radiance. The wide stairway was sound and undamaged. Two hundred steps they counted, broad and shallow; and at the top they found an arched passage with a level floor leading on into the dark.

"Let us sit and have something to eat, here on the landing, since we can't find a dinning-room!" said Frodo. He had begun to shake off the terror of nearly being grabbed by the groping arm, and suddenly he felt extremely hungry.  
>The proposal was welcomed by all; and they sat down on the upper steps, dim figures in the gloom.<p>

"Man, I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!" said Kitty.

"Did you hear that, Sam? I guess it's a good thing poor old Bill bolted back then." Merry quipped.

"Yes, otherwise he may have ended up our good _melon's_ dinner." Pippin added smartly.

"Quiet, you!" said Kitty, flicking some stray pebbles at them.

After they had eaten, Gandalf gave them each a third sip of the _miruvor_ of Rivendell.

"It will not last much longer, I am afraid," he said; "but I think we need it after that horror at the gate. And unless we have great luck, we shall need all that is left before we see the other side! Go carefully with the water, too! There are many streams and wells in the Mines, but they should not be touched. We may not have a chance of filling our skins and bottles till we come down into the Dimrill Dale."

"How long is that going to take up?" Asked Frodo.

"I cannot say." Answered Gandalf. "It depends on many chances, but going straight, without mishap or losing our way, we shall take three or four marches, I expect. It cannot be less than forty miles from West-door to East-gate in a direct line, and the road may wind much."

After only a brief rest they started on their way again. All were eager to get the journey over as quickly as possible, and were willing, tired as they were, to go on marching still for several hours. Gandalf walked in front as before. In his left hand he held up his glimmering staff, the light of which just showed the ground before his feet; in his right he held his sword Glamdring. Behind him came Gimli, his eyes glinting in the dim light as he turned his head from side to side. Behind the dwarf walked Frodo, and he had drawn his short sword, Sting. No gleam came from the blades of Sting or of Glamdring; and that was some comfort, for being the work of Elvish smiths of the Elder Days these swords shone with a cold light, if any Orcs were near at hand. Behind Frodo went Sam, and after him Legolas, and Devin, and Kitty, and the young hobbits, and Boromir. In the dark at the rear, grim and silent walked Aragorn.  
>The passage twisted round a few turns, and then began to descend. It went steadily down for a long while before it became level once again. The air grew hot and stifling, but it was not foul, and at times they felt currents of cooler air upon their faces, issuing from half-guessed openings in the walls. There were many of these. In the pale ray of the wizard's staff, Frodo caught glimpses of stairs and arches, and of other passages and tunnels, sloping up, or running steeply down, or opening blankly dark on either side. It was bewildering beyond hope of remembering. More than once Kitty had remarked upon how the architects would have done better to throw in a few 'you are here' signs along the way.<br>Gimli aided Gandalf very little, except by his stout courage. At least he was not, as were most of the others, troubled by the mere darkness in itself. Often the wizard consulted him at points where the choice of way was doubtful; but it was always Gandalf who had the final word. The Mines of Moria were vast and intricate beyond the imagination of Gimli, Glóin's son, dwarf of the mountain-race though he was. To Gandalf the far-off memories of a journey long before were now of little help, but even in the gloom and despite all the windings of the road he knew whither he wished to go, and he did not falter, as long as there was a path that led towards his goal.

"Do not be afraid!" said Aragorn. There was a pause longer than usual, and Gandalf and Gimli were whispering together; the others were crowded behind, waiting anxiously. "Do not be afraid! I have been with him on many a journey, if never on one so dark; and there are tales of Rivendell of greater deeds of his than any that I have seen. He will not go astray—if there is any path to find. He has led us in here against our fears, but he will lead us out again, at whatever cost to himself." The girls exchanged an uneasy glance. That was precisely what they were afraid of. The root of their anxiety was not the darkness or the idea of possibly being lost, but concern for the wizard's fate, which was drawing ever nearer. "He is surer of finding the way home in a blind night than the cats of Queen Berúthiel."

It was well for the Company that they had such a guide. They had no fuel nor any means of making torches; in the desperate scramble at the doors, despite the girls' efforts to make sure they held onto their baggage, many things had been left behind; and the lighter had run out of fluid and was no longer of any use. But without any light, they would soon have come to grief. There were not only many roads to choose from, there were also in many places holes and pitfalls, and dark wells beside the path in which their passing feet echoed. There were fissures and chasms in the walls and floor, and every now and then a crack would open right before their feet. The widest was more than seven feet across, and it was long before Pippin could summon enough courage to leap over the dreadful gap. The noise of churning water came up from far below, as if some great mill-wheel was turning in the depths.

"Rope!" muttered Sam. "I knew I'd want it, if I hadn't got it!"

As these dangers became more frequent their march became slower. Already they seemed to have been tramping on, on, endlessly to the mountain's roots. They were more than weary, and yet there seemed no comfort in the thought of halting anywhere. Frodo's spirits had risen for a while after their escape, and after food and a draught of the cordial; but now a deep uneasiness, growing to dread, crept over him again. Though he had been healed in Rivendell of the knife-stroke, that grim wound had not been without effect. His senses were sharper and more aware of things that could not be seen. One sign of change that he soon noticed was that he could see more in the dark than any of his companions, save perhaps Gandalf. And he was in any case the bearer of the Ring; it hung upon its chain against his breast, and at whiles it seemed a heavy weight. Frodo felt the certainty of evil ahead and evil following them but said nothing. He gripped tighter on the hilt of his sword and went on doggedly.  
>This was in part Devin's reason for allowing him to be stabbed, for she had thought he would need such a heightened awareness later on in the heart of Mordor; but she deeply regretted and mourned the pain that the evil wound had, and would, continue to cause him.<br>The Company behind him spoke seldom, and then only in hurried whispers. There was no sound but the sound of their own feet; the dull stump of Gimli's dwarf-boots; the heavy tread of Boromir; the light steps of Legolas and Devin; the casual swagger of Devin; the soft, scarce-heard patter of hobbit-feet; and in the rear the slow firm footfalls of Aragorn with his long stride. When they halted for a moment they heard nothing at all, unless it were occasionally a faint trickle and drip of unseen water. Yet Frodo began to hear, or to imagine that he heard, something else: like the faint fall of soft bare feet. It was never loud enough, or near enough, for him to feel certain that he heard it; but once it had started it never stopped, while the Company was moving. But it was not an echo, for when they halted it pattered on for a little while all by itself, and the grew still.

It was after nightfall when they had entered the Mines. They had been going for several hours with only brief halts, when Gandalf came to his first serious check. Before him stood a wide dark arch opening into three passages: all led in the same general direction, eastwards; but the left-hand passage plunged down, while the right-hand climbed up, and the middle way seemed to run on, smooth and level but very narrow.

"I have no memory of this place…" said Gandalf, standing uncertainly under the arch, wearing a very similar expression to the one Kitty often had on her face when she blanked on a test. He held up his staff in the hope of finding some marks or inscription that might help his choice; but nothing of the kind was to be seen. "I am too weary to decide." he said, shaking his head. "And I expect that you all are as weary as I am, or wearier. We had better halt here for what is left of the night. You know what I mean! In here it is ever dark; but outside the late Moon is riding westward and midnight has passed."

To the left of the great arch they found a stone door: it was half closed, but swung back easily to a gentle thrust. Beyond there seemed to lie a wide chamber cut in the rock.

"Steady! Steady!" cried Gandalf as Merry and Pippin pushed forward, glad to find a place where they could rest with at least more feeling of shelter than in the open passage. "Steady! You do not know what is inside yet. I will go first." He went in cautiously, and the others filed behind. "There!" he said, pointing with his staff to the middle of the floor. Before his feet they saw a large round hole like the mouth of a well. Broken and rusty chains lay at the edge and trailed down into the black pit. Fragments of stone lay near.

"One of you might have fallen in and still be wondering when you were going to strike bottom." Said Aragorn to Merry. "Let the guide go first while you have one."

"Geez, talk about a death trap!" Kitty muttered with a frown. If the fall didn't get them, then the tetanus would.

"This seems to have been a guardroom, made for the watching of the three passages." Said Gimli. "That hole was plainly a well for the guards' use, covered with a stone lid. But the lid is broken, and we must all take care in the dark."

Pippin felt curiously attracted by the well. While the others were unrolling blankets and making beds against the walls of the chamber, as far as possible from the hole in the floor, he crept to the edge and peered over. A chill air seemed to strike his face, rising from invisible depths. Moved by a sudden impulse he groped for a loose stone, and let it drop. He felt his heart beat many times before there was any sound. Then far below, as if the stone had fallen into deep water in some cavernous place, there came a _plunk_, very distant, but magnified and repeated in the hollow shaft. Devin closed her eyes in dismay as she recognized the scene, and realized that she had missed the chance to stop him before it was too late.

"What's that?" cried Gandalf. He was relieved when Pippin confessed what he had done; but he was angry, and Pippin could see his eye glinting. "Fool of a Took!" he growled. "This is a serious journey, not a hobbit walking-party. Throw yourself in next time, and then you'll be no further nuisance. Now be quiet!"

Nothing more was heard for several more minutes; but then there came out of the depths faint knocks: _tom-tap, tap-tom. _They stopped, and when the echoes had died away, they were repeated: _tap-tom, tom-tap, tap-tap, tom._ They sounded disquietingly like signals of some sort; but after a while the knocking died away and was not heard again.

"That was the sound of a hammer, or I have never heard one." Said Gimli.

"Yes," said Gandalf, "and I do not like it. It may have nothing to do with Peregrin's foolish stone; but probably something has been disturbed that would have been better left quiet. Pray, do nothing of the kind again! Let us hope we shall get some rest without further trouble. You, Pippin, can go on the first watch, as a reward." He growled as he rolled himself in a blanket. Devin briefly considered telling them what she thought the knocking sounds were, but decided against it. Like Gandalf said, they didn't know whether the knocking was connected with Pippin's stone or not, and even if it was, and they had alerted the enemy to their presence, they still had at least a day before they would have to deal with the consequences. Right now what they all needed most was rest, and she doubted the others would be able to rest so easily if she shared her worries with them now.


	18. Chapter 18

**Previously:**

_"What's that?" cried Gandalf. He was relieved when Pippin confessed what he had done; but he was angry, and Pippin could see his eye glinting. "Fool of a Took!" he growled. "This is a serious journey, not a hobbit walking-party. Throw yourself in next time, and then you'll be no further nuisance. Now be quiet!"_

_Nothing more was heard for several more minutes; but then there came out of the depths faint knocks: tom-tap, tap-tom. They stopped, and when the echoes had died away, they were repeated: tap-tom, tom-tap, tap-tap, tom. They sounded disquietingly like signals of some sort; but after a while the knocking died away and was not heard again._

_"That was the sound of a hammer, or I have never heard one." Said Gimli._

_"Yes," said Gandalf, "and I do not like it. It may have nothing to do with Peregrin's foolish stone; but probably something has been disturbed that would have been better left quiet. Pray, do nothing of the kind again! Let us hope we shall get some rest without further trouble. You, Pippin, can go on the first watch, as a reward." He growled as he rolled himself in a blanket. Devin briefly considered telling them what she thought the knocking sounds were, but decided against it. Like Gandalf said, they didn't know whether the knocking was connected with Pippin's stone or not, and even if it was, and they had alerted the enemy to their presence, they still had at least a day before they would have to deal with the consequences. Right now what they all needed most was rest, and she doubted the others would be able to sleep so easily if she shared her worries with them now._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18: A Song in the Dark<strong>

* * *

><p>It was Gandalf who roused them all from sleep. After relieving Pippin he had sat and watched all alone for about six hours, and had let the others rest.<p>

"And in the watches I have made up my mind." He said. "I do not like the feel of the middle way; and I do not like the smell of the left-hand way: there is foul air down there, or I am no guide. I shall take the right-hand passage. It is time we begin to climb up again."

For eight dark hours, not counting two brief halts, they marched on; and they met no danger, and heard nothing, and saw nothing but the faint gleam of the wizard's light, bobbing like a will-o'-the-wisp in front of them. The passage they had chosen wound steadily upwards. As far as they could judge it went in great mounting curves, and as it rose it grew loftier and wider. There were now no openings to other galleries or tunnels on either side, and the floor was level and sound, without pits or cracks. Evidently they had struck what once had been an important road; and they went forward quicker than they had done on their first march.  
>In this way they advanced some fifteen miles, measured in a direct line east, though they must have actually walked twenty miles or more. As the road climbed upwards, Frodo's spirits rose a little; but he still felt oppressed, and at times he heard, or thought he heard, away behind the Company and beyond the fall and patter of their feet, a following footstep that was not an echo.<p>

They had marched as far as the hobbits could endure without a rest, and all were thinking of a place where they could sleep, when suddenly the walls to right and left vanished. They seemed to have passed through some arched doorway into a black and empty space. There was a great draught of warmer air behind them, and before them the darkness was cold on their faces. They halted and crowded anxiously together. Gandalf seemed pleased.

"I chose the right way." He said. "At last we are coming to the habitable parts, and I guess that we are not far now from the eastern side. But we are high up, a good deal higher than the Dimrill Gate, unless I am mistaken. From the feeling if the air we must be in a wide hall. I will now risk a little real light." He raised his staff, and for a brief instant there was blaze like a flash of lightning. Great shadows sprang up and fled, and for a second they saw a vast roof far above their heads upheld by many mighty pillars hewn of stone. Before them and on either side stretched a huge empty black hall; its black walls, polished and smooth as glass, flashed and glittered. Three other entrances they saw, dark black arches: one straight before them eastwards, and one on either side. Then the light went out.

"That is all I shall venture on for the present." Said Gandalf. "There used to be great windows on the mountain-side, and shafts leading out to the light in the upper reaches of the Mines. I think we have reached them now, but it is night outside again, and we cannot tell until morning. If I am right, tomorrow we may actually see the morning peeping in. But in the meanwhile we had better go no further. Let us rest, if we can. Things have gone well so far, and the greater part of the dark road is over. But we are not through yet, and it is a long way down to the Gates that open on the world."

The Company spent that night in the great cavernous hall, huddled close together in a corner to escape the draught: there seemed to be a steady inflow of chill air through the eastern archway. All about them as they lay hung the darkness, hollow and immense, and they were oppressed by the loneliness and vastness of the dolven halls and endlessly branching stairs and passages. The wildest imaginings that dark rumor had suggested to the hobbits fell altogether short of the actual dread and wonder of Moria. The only who was not bothered was Kitty who promptly rolled over, wrapped herself in her blanket, and fell into a deep sleep.

"How care-free. I sometimes find myself envious of that strange girl." remarked Boromir. For though they were all tired, sleep did not come so easily to the rest of the Company in such a dark and strange place, where sense of vague danger lurked in every black corner.

"It's not that Kitty is unaware of the danger; she simply doesn't care." Said Devin.

"Then she is both brave and foolish." Said Boromir.

"There must have been a mighty crowd of dwarves here at one time," said Sam in an attempt to change the subject before an argument began; "and every one of them busier than badgers for five hundred years to make this, and most in hard rock too! What did they do it all for? They didn't live in these darksome holes surely?"

"These are not holes." Said Gimli. "This is the great city of the Dwarrowdelf. And of old it was not darksome, but full of light and splendor, as is still remembered in our songs." He rose and standing in the dark he began to chant in a deep voice, while the echoes ran away into the roof.

_The world was young, the mountains green,  
>No stain yet on the Moon was seen,<br>No words were laid on stream or stone,  
>When Durin woke and walked alone.<br>He named the nameless hills and dells;  
>He drank from yet untasted wells;<br>He stooped and looked in Mirrormere,  
>And saw a crown of stars appear,<br>As gems upon a silver thread,  
>Above the shadows of his head. <em>

_The world was fair, the mountains tall,  
>In Elder Days before the fall<br>Of mighty kings in Nargothrond  
>And Gondolin, who now beyond<br>The Western Seas have passed away:  
>The world was fair in Durin's Day. <em>

_A king he was on carven throne  
>In many-pillared halls of stone<br>With golden roof and silver floor,  
>And runes of power upon the door.<br>The light of sun and star and moon  
>In shining lamps of crystal hewn<br>Undimmed by cloud or shade of night  
>There shone for ever fair and bright. <em>

_There hammer on the anvil smote,  
>There chisel clove, and graver wrote;<br>There forged was blade, and bound was hilt;  
>The delver mined, the mason built.<br>There beryl, pearl, and opal pale,  
>And metal wrought like fishes' mail,<br>Buckler and corslet, axe and sword,  
>And shining spears were laid in hoard. <em>

_Unwearied then were Durin's folk;  
>Beneath the mountains music woke:<br>The harpers harped, the minstrels sang,  
>And at the gates the trumpets rang. <em>

_The world is grey, the mountains old,  
>The forge's fire is ashen-cold;<br>No harp is wrung, no hammer falls:  
>The darkness dwells in Durin's halls;<br>The shadow lies upon his tomb  
>In Moria, in Khazad-dûm.<br>But still the sunken stars appear  
>In dark and windless Mirrormere;<br>There lies his crown in water deep,  
>Till Durin wakes again from sleep. <em>

"I like that!" said Sam. "I should like to learn it. _In Moria, in Khazad-dûm!_ But it makes the darkness seem heavier, thinking of all those lamps. Are there piles of jewels and gold lying about here still?" Gimli was silent. Having sung his song he would say no more.

"Piles of jewels?" said Gandalf. "No the Orcs have often plundered Moria; there is nothing left in the upper halls. And since the dwarves fled, no one dares to seek the shafts and treasuries down in the deep places: they are drowned in water—or in a shadow of fear." Gimli looked away as the wizard spoke and was surprised to catch the gleam of tears on Devin's cheeks in the dim.

"What's wrong, lass?" He asked with such concern that rest of the Company immediately turned to look at her.

"You are crying…" said Legolas, taken aback. No matter what dangers or hardships they faced, she had never once complained or shed a tear. It was astonishing to see her do so now over a song.

"Huh?" Devin said, taken aback, as she touched her wet cheek to see what they were talking about. She had not even been aware that she was doing it. "Ah, I'm sorry… It's just my father also knew that song and used to sing it to me, and Gimli sounded so much like him that I… I supposed I was a little shocked." She explained with a wan smile.

"There is no need for you to apologize." Said Aragorn.

"That's right, we all get homesick from time to time." Said Merry.

"I often wish I was back at home." Added Pippin. Frodo silently seconded this thought.

"You must miss your family terribly." Legolas said sympathetically. Not only were the girls the youngest of their Company, but they were also the farthest away from home.

"Yes…" said Devin sadly, though she would say no more on the matter. She didn't want to speak of their deaths while surrounded by such heavy darkness.

"Well, Sam, didn't you want to hear more about the Mines? You looked like you were just about to ask a question." Said Aragorn, who along with the hobbits had already heard briefly of their passing from Kitty, was able to guess Devin's thoughts and endeavored to change the subject for her.

"Oh, all right then… Then what do the dwarves want to come back for?" asked Sam, taking the obvious hint that they should talk about something else.

"For _mithril_." Answered Gandalf. "The wealth of Moria was not in gold and jewels, the toys of the Dwarves; nor in iron, their servant. Such things they found here, it is true, especially iron; but they did not need to delve for them: all things that they desired they could obtain in traffic. For here alone in the world was found Moria-silver, or true-silver as some have called it: _mithril_ is the Elvish name. The Dwarves have a name which they do not tell. Its worth was ten times that of gold, and now it is beyond price; for little is left above ground, and even the Orcs dare not delve here for it. The lodes lead away north towards Caradhras, and down to darkness. The Dwarves tell no tale; but even as _mithril _was the foundation of their wealth, so also it was their destruction: they delved too greedily and too deep, and disturbed that from which they fled, Durin's Bane. Of what they brought to light the Orcs have gathered nearly all, and given it in tribute to Sauron, who covets it.  
>"<em>Mithril!<em> All folk desired it. It could be beaten like copper, and polished like glass; and the Dwarves could make of it a metal, light and yet harder than tempered steel. Its beauty was like to that of common silver, but the beauty of _mithril _did not tarnish or grow dim. The Elves dearly loved it, and among many uses they made of it _ithildin_, starmoon, which you saw upon the doors. Bilbo had a corslet of mithril-rings that Thorin gave him. I wonder what has become of it? Still gathering dust in the Michel Delving Museum, I suppose."

"Oh, that was a kingly gift!" said Gimli.

"Yes." said Gandalf. "I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of the whole Shire and everything in it." Frodo said nothing, but he put his hand under his tunic and touched the rings of his mail-shirt. He felt staggered to think that he had been walking about with the price of the Shire under his jacket. Had Bilbo known? He felt no doubt that Bilbo knew quite well. It was indeed a kingly gift. But now his thoughts had been carried away from the dark Mines, to Rivendell, to Bilbo, and to Bag End in the days while Bilbo was still there. He wished with all his heart that he was back there, and in those days, mowing the lawn, or pottering among the flowers, and that he had never heard of Moria, or _mithril_— or the Ring.

A deep silence fell. One by one the others fell asleep. Frodo was on guard. As if it were a breath that came in through unseen doors out of deep places, dread came over him. His hands were cold and his brow damp. He listened. All his mind was given to listening and nothing else for two slow hours; but he heard no sound, not even the imagined echo of a footfall.  
>His watch was nearly over, when, far off where he guessed that the western archway stood, he fancied he could see two pale points of light, almost like luminous eyes. He started. His head had nodded. 'I must have nearly fallen asleep on guard,' he thought. 'I was on the edge of a dream.' He stood up and rubbed his eyes, and remained standing, peering into the dark, until he was relieved by Legolas.<br>When he lay down, Frodo quickly went to sleep, but it seemed to him that the dream went on: he heard whispers, and saw the two pale points of light approaching slowly. He woke and found that the others were speaking softly near him, and that a dim light was falling on his face. High up above the eastern archway through a shaft of light near the roof came a long pale gleam; and across the hall through the northern arch light also glimmered faint and distantly.  
>Frodo sat up.<p>

"Good morning!" said Gandalf. "For morning it is again at last. I was right, you see. We are high up on the east side of Moria. Before today is over we ought to find the Great Gates and see the waters of Mirrormere lying in the Dimrill Dale before us."

"I shall be glad." Said Gimli. "I have looked on Moria, and it is very great, but it has become dark and dreadful; and we have found no sign of my kindred. I doubt now that Balin ever came here."

"… I'm afraid he did." Said Devin slowly. "And you must brace yourself, Gimli, for what we may find before we reach the Gates." She hoped in telling him now that it might lessen the shock he would receive later on, if not the grief.

"You speak in riddles, much like a wizard." Said Gimli. "Can you not speak more plainly?"

"I'm sure she would if she could. But you must not pressure her to speak of what does not she feel safe to give freely. Ignorance can be better sometimes than to have too much knowledge with not enough wisdom." Said Gandalf. "Which reminds me, someone really should wake Kitty. That girl has slept long enough. There's a puddle of drool on the floor!"

"We've tried everything short of screaming in her ear, but nothing is working." Said Pippin.

"Don't worry, I know how to get her up." Devin said. Without her alarm or ice only one thing could get Kitty up when she was like this. She reached over, and used one hand to pinch Kitty's nose shut and the other to cover her mouth. After a few seconds Kitty finally stirred, startled awake by the sudden realization that she couldn't breathe. Devin quickly removed her hands, and Kitty bolted upright, gasping for air as if she hadn't breathed in years.

"Holy crap!" Kitty cried. "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that! Do you have any idea how scary it is to wake up to the feeling of being murdered?"

"Don't be such a drama queen. You know I'd never really kill you." Devin reminded her with a frown.

"Though some might be tempted." Boromir muttered under his breath. Unfortunately, Kitty heard him.

"Why don't you do everyone a favor and go see what it smells like underwater?" She growled, narrowing her eyes dangerously at him.

"Okay, time out." Devin said, stepping in before it escalated to violence. "I'm sure we're all just cranky because we're hungry, so let's not draw any blood until we've at least had some breakfast."

After they had breakfasted Gandalf decided to go on again at once.

"We are tired, but we shall rest better when we are outside." He said. "I think that none of us will wish to spend another night in Moria."

"No indeed!" said Boromir. "Which way shall we take? Yonder eastward arch?"

"Maybe." Said Gandalf. "But I do not know yet exactly where we are. Unless I am quite astray, I guess that we are above and north of the Great Gates; and it may nit be easy to find the right road down to them. The eastern arch will probably prove to be the way that we must take; but before we make up our minds we ought to look about us. Let us go towards that light in the north door. If we could find a window it would help, but I fear that light comes only down deep shafts."

"Following his lead the Company passed under the northern arch. They found themselves in a wide corridor. As they went along it the glimmer grew stronger, and they saw that it came through a doorway on their right. It was high and flat topped, and the stone door was still upon its hinges, standing half open. Beyond it was a large square chamber. It was dimly lit, but to their eyes, after so long a time in the dark, it seemed dazzlingly bright, and they blinked as they entered.  
>Their feet disturbed a deep dust on the floor, and stumbled among things lying in the doorway whose shapes they could not at first make out. The chamber was lit by a wide shaft high in the further eastern wall; it slanted upwards and, far above, a small square patch of blue sky could be seen. The light of the shaft fell directly on a table in the middle of the room: a single oblong block, about two feet high, upon which was laid a great slab of white stone.<p>

"It looks like a tomb." Muttered Frodo, and bent forwards with a curious sense of foreboding, to look more closely at it. Gandalf came quickly to his side to read the runes deeply engraved on the slab.

"These are Daeron's Runes, such as were used of old in Moria." Said Gandalf. "Here is written in the tongues of Men and Dwarves:

BALIN SON OF FUNDIN  
>LORD OF MORIA."<p>

"He is dead then." Said Frodo. "I feared it was so." Gimli cast his hood over his face.


	19. Chapter 19

**Previously:**

_"It looks like a tomb." Muttered Frodo, and bent forwards with a curious sense of foreboding, to look more closely at it. Gandalf came quickly to his side to read the runes deeply engraved on the slab._

_"These are Daeron's Runes, such as were used of old in Moria." Said Gandalf. "Here is written in the tongues of Men and Dwarves:_

_BALIN SON OF FUNDIN_  
><em>LORD OF MORIA."<em>

_"He is dead then." Said Frodo. "I feared it was so." Gimli cast his hood over his face._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm<strong>

* * *

><p>The Company of the Ring stood silent beside the tomb of Balin. Devin thought of her father and how <em>The Hobbit<em> had been one of her father's favorite books to read to her as a bedtime story when she was younger. In that dusty chamber in the mountains that was an entire world away it felt more like a thousand years ago.

"I'm sorry." She said somberly, placing a hand on the Gimli's shoulder, as Gandalf leaned down to pick up a the remains of book that was still in the clutches of one of the skeletons that they could now see were lying by the door they had just come through and the smaller one on the other side of the chamber. "We cannot linger here." Hearing her ominous words, Gandalf quickly skipped towards the end to see what had become of the rest of the Dwarves in Balin's Company, though they could all take a fair guess after seeing the abandoned orc weapons that still lay scattered about the room.

"_They have taken the bridge and the second hall… the pool is up to the wall at Westgate the Watcher in the Water took Óin_." Gandalf read aloud. "_We have barred the gates… but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums… drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming._ There is nothing more." The wizard paused and stood in silent thought. A sudden dread and a horror of the chamber fell on the Company.

"We cannot get out." Muttered Gimli. "It was well for us that the pool had sunk a little, and that the Watcher was sleeping down at the southern end." Gandalf raised his head and looked around.

"They seem to have made a last stand by both doors," he said; "but there were not many left by that time."

"Yes, and now we must quickly leave this place before the same happens to us." Said Devin gravely.

She hardly spoken these words, when there came a great noise: a rolling _Boom_ that seemed to come from the depths far below, and to tremble in the stone at their feet. Her eyes widened. It was too soon! They sprang towards the door in alarm. _Doom, doom_ it rolled again, as if huge hands were turning the very caverns of Moria into a vast drum. The there came an echoing blast: a great horn was blown in the hall, and answering horns and harsh cries were heard further off. There was a hurrying sound of many feet.

"They are coming!" cried Legolas.

"We cannot get out." Said Gimli.

"Damn it!" said Kitty.

"Trapped!" cried Gandalf. "Why did I delay? Here we are, caught, just as they were before. But I was not here then. We will see what—" _Doom, doom_ came the drum-beat and the walls shook.

"Slam the doors and wedge them!" shouted Aragorn. "And keep your packs on as long as you can: we may get a chance to cut our way out yet."

"No!" said Devin. "We must not get shut in!"

"Keep the east door ajar!" said Gandalf. "We will go that way, if we get a chance." Another harsh horn-call and shrill cries rang out. Feet were coming down the corridor. There was a ring and clatter as the Company drew their weapons. Glamdring shone with a pale light, and Sting glinted at the edges. Boromir set his shoulder against the western door.

"Wait a moment! Do not close it yet!" said Gandalf. He sprang forward to Boromir's side and drew himself up to his full height. "Who comes hither to disturb the rest of Balin Lord of Moria?" he cried in a loud voice. There was a rush of hoarse laughter, like the fall of sliding stones into a pit; amid the clamor a deep voice was raised in command. _Doom, boom, doom_ went the drums in the deep.  
>With a quick movement Gandalf stepped before the narrow opening of the door and thrust forward his staff. There was a dazzling flash that lit the chamber and the passage outside. For an instant the wizard looked out. Arrows whined and whistled down the corridor as he sprang back.<p>

"There are Orcs, very many of them." He said. "And some are large and evil: black Uruks of Mordor. For the moment they are hanging back, but there is something else there. A great cave-troll, I think, or more than one. There is no hope of escape that way."

"And no hope at all, if they come at the other door as well." Said Boromir.

"There is no sound outside here yet." Said Aragorn, who was standing by the eastern door listening.

"Great, then let's go that way!" said Kitty, ready to get the heck out of dodge.

"The passage on this side plunges straight down a stair: it plainly does not lead back towards the hall. But it is no good flying blindly this way with the pursuit just behind. We cannot block the door. Its key is gone and the lock is broken, and it opens inward. We will make them fear this chamber first!" he said grimly, feeling the edge of his sword.

Heavy feet were heard in the corridor. Boromir flung himself at the door and heaved it to; then he wedged it with broken sword-blades and splinters of wood. The Company retreated to the other side of the chamber. But they had no chance to fly yet. There was a blow on the door that made it quiver; and then it began to grind slowly open, driving back the wedges. A huge arm and shoulder, with a dark skin of greenish scales, was thrust through the widening gap. Then a great, flat, toeless foot was forced through below. There was dead silence outside.  
>To Devin's surprise it was not Boromir who attacked first, but Kitty. With a booming roar and a mad gleam in her eye, kitty, fueled by a sudden manic episode, leaped forward and hewed her elvish blade at the arm with all her might; but her sword rang, glanced aside, and fell from her shaken hand. Fortunately the blade remained un-notched.<p>

"Ow! Holy shit, that's hard!" she exclaimed. Suddenly, and to his own surprise, Frodo felt a hot wrath blaze up in his heart.

"The Shire!" He cried, and springing beside Kitty, he stooped, and stabbed the hideous foot with Sting. There was a bellow, and the foot jerked back, nearly wrenching Sting from Frodo's arm. Black drops dripped from the blade and smoked on the floor.

"Score one for the Shire!" Kitty cheered as Boromir sprang forth and hurled himself against the door, slamming it shut again.

"The hobbit's bite is deep!" said Aragorn. "You have a good blade, Frodo son of Drogo!"

"Yes, well done! Now get back here before they bust the door down!" cried Devin anxiously. There was immediately a crash on the door, followed by crash after crash. Rams and hammers were beating against it. It cracked and staggered back, and the opening grew suddenly wide. Arrows came whistling in, but struck the northern wall, and fell harmlessly to the floor. There was a horn-blast and a rush of feet, and orcs one after another leaped into the chamber.  
>How many there were the Company could not count. The affray was sharp, but the orcs were dismayed by the fierceness of the defense. Legolas shot two through the throat. Gimli hewed the legs from under another that had sprung up on Balin's tomb. Kitty decapitated one. Devin stabbed another that had tried to grab her through the soft underside of its chin, where its helmet gave no protection. Boromir and Aragorn slew many. When thirteen had fallen the rest fled shrieking, leaving the defenders unharmed, except for Sam who had a scratch along the scalp. A quick duck had saved him; and he had felled his first orc: a sturdy thrust with his Barrow-blade. A fire was smoldering in his brown eyes that would have made Ted Sandyman step backwards, if he had seen it.<p>

"Hah! And my mom said watching _The Walking Dead _was a waste of time!" said Kitty with a grin, gratified to find her wrong and ready for more.

"Now's not the time!" Cried Gandalf. "Let us go, before the troll returns!"

But even as they retreated, and before Pippin and Merry had reached the stair outside, a huge orc-chieftain, almost man-high, clad in black mail from head to foot, leaped into the chamber; behind him his followers clustered in the doorway. His broad flat face was swart, his eyes were like coals, and his tongue was red; he wielded a great spear. With a thrust of his huge hide shield he turned Boromir's sword and bore him backwards, throwing him to the ground. Diving under Aragorn's blow with the speed of a striking snake he charged into the Company thrust his spear straight at Frodo. The blow caught him in the right side, and Frodo was hurled against the wall and pinned. Sam, with a cry, hacked at the spear-shaft, and it broke. But even as the orc flung down the truncheon and swept out his scimitar, one of Devin's small throwing knives pierced his throat, and Kitty's blade came down upon his helm. There was a flash like flame as sparks flew and the helm nearly burst asunder. The orc fell down dead. His followers fled howling, as Boromir and Aragorn sprang at them. Devin quickly retrieved her knife.

"Now!" she shouted as _doom, doom_ went the drums in the deep. "Now's our last chance. Run for it!" The great voice rolled out again. Aragorn picked up Frodo where he lay by the wall and made for the stair, pushing Merry and Pippin in front of him. The others followed; but Gimli had to be dragged away by Legolas: in spite of the peril he lingered by Balin's tomb with his head bowed. Boromir hauled the eastern door to, grinding upon its hinges: it had great iron rings on either side, but could not be fastened.

"I am all right." Gasped Frodo. "I can walk. Put me down!" Aragorn nearly dropped him in his amazement.

"I thought you were dead!" he cried.

"Not yet!" said Gandalf. "But there is no time to wonder. Off you go, all of you, down the stairs! Wait a few minutes for me at the bottom, but if I do not come soon, go on! Go quickly and choose paths leading right and downwards."

"We cannot leave you to hold the door alone!" said Aragorn.

"Do as I say!" said Gandalf fiercely. "Swords are no more use here. Go!"

"Come, Aragorn!" Devin urged him. "He's the only one who can shut the door, and he must!"

The passage was lit by no shaft and was utterly dark. They groped their way down a long flight of steps, and then looked back; but they could see nothing except high above them the faint glimmer of the wizard's staff. He seemed to be still standing on guard by the closed door. Frodo breathed heavily and leaned against Sam, who put his arms about him. They stood peering up the stairs into the darkness. Frodo thought he could hear the voice of Gandalf above, muttering words that ran down the sloping roof with a sighing echo. He could not catch what was said. The walls seemed to be trembling. Every now and again the drum-beats throbbed and rolled: _doom, doom._

"What are you doing?" Kitty asked when Devin began to riffle through her pack while they were stopped, quickly removing a glow-stick. "Hey, you've been holding out me!" she cried with a frown. Devin knew how much she loved playing with glow-sticks.

"I was saving it for an emergency!" said Devin a bit defensively. She had originally bought it to surprise Kitty, but had then decided to save it for this particular moment once they decided to stay in this world.

"Is that food?" asked Pippin as they all eyed the curious wrapper.  
>Suddenly at the top of the stair there was a stab of white light. Then there was a dull rumble and a heavy thud. The drum-beats broke out wildly: <em>doom-boom, doom-boom,<em> and then stopped. Gandalf came flying down the steps and fell to the ground in the midst of the Company.

"Well, well! That's over!" said the wizard struggling to his feet. "I have done all that I could. But I have met my match, and have nearly been destroyed, But don't stand here! Go on! You will have to do without light for a while: I am rather shaken. Go on!"

"Wait, I have a light." Said Devin, quickly ripping open the glow-stick's wrapper and snapping it to activate it. "Boromir, please carry Gandalf for as long as you can bear. We must keep going, but he needs to recover his strength. He will need it. I will lead the way for now."

They followed after her in the neon-yellow glow of the luminous stick in her hand wondering how it worked and what had happened at the top of the stair with Gandalf. _Doom, doom_ went the drum-beats again: they now sounded muffled and far away, but they were following. There was no other sound of pursuit, neither tramp of feet, nor any voice. Devin took no turns, right or left, for she remembered that Gandalf had not done so in the book, and the passage seemed to be going in the direction that they desired. Every now and again it descended a flight of steps, fifty or more, to a lower level.  
>At the end of an hour they had gone a mile, or maybe a little more, and had descended many flights of stairs. There was still no sound of pursuit. Almost they began to hope that they would escape. But in the middle of the seventh flight Devin halted, for they had encountered something she had not been expecting. It was well that she had made certain Gandalf would already be rested before they reached this point and had lit the glow-stick, for there was a sizeable gap between the stairs that plunged down into the dark depths below. Devin got as close to the edge as she could and held out the glow-stick. She could see the other side, but it would be a difficult leap for her and the hobbits without help.<p>

"I'll go first with the light." She said, securing the glow-stick between her teeth for the jump. She glanced back at Kitty, who nodded in understanding, and stepped forth, kneeling down and cupping her hands.

"What are you—?" Boromir began to ask when Devin stepped into Kitty's waiting hands, startled when the small girl was launched into the air. Legolas and Gimli stared in wonder as she flew through the air, tucked herself into a flip, and landed on the other side with perfect balance. Neither of them had ever seen a human soar like a bird before. Devin removed the glow-stick from her mouth and held it up, illuminating the stairs beneath her feet so the rest of them could see where they needed to land.

"Who's next?" she asked. The Elf leaped forward without hesitation, landing gracefully beside her. It was good that he had done so, because Kitty was right on his heels.

"Geronimo!" She cried as she flung herself over the gap, nearly tripping and sending herself tumbling down the stairs. Fortunately, Legolas caught her in time and helped her regain her balance.

"Gandalf!" said Legolas, waiting for the wizard with open arms. Gandalf jumped, glad the Elf was there to catch him, for he had almost gone the say way Kitty had. Next came Boromir, carrying Merry and Pippin. He managed to make it across with both hobbits, but the stair he had leaped from crumbled behind him, widening the gap.

"Wow, that sucks!" cried Kitty, wondering how the others were supposed to get across now.

"Sam!" said Aragorn, deciding to start with him. Sam braced himself as with a might heave Aragorn tossed him clear over to the other side, where he was caught by Legolas and Boromir. Next Came Frodo. Aragorn reached for Gimli, but the dwarf held up a hand to stop him.

"Nobody tosses a Dwarf." Said Gimli proudly. He gave a great yell as he leaped across, using all the strength that he could muster. His feet landed on the edge, but he began to fall backwards. Legolas quickly reached out and grabbed him by the beard to stop his fall. "Not the beard!" cried Gimli as he was pulled back to safety. Once the Dwarf was safely out of the way, Aragorn made a great leap across the extra-large gap. And with that everyone had made it safely across, and the Company was ready to push on.

"It is getting hot!" said Boromir.

"Oh, my bad. Did you want me to leave?" Kitty asked, earning several strange looks. "Goddammit, I'm gettin' real tired of nobody getting my jokes!" she grumbled crossly. "That was funny, right, Devin?"

"Yeah, so funny I forgot to laugh." answered Devin. She had other things to think about at the moment, like what was about to come next.

"We ought to be down at least to the level of the Gates now." Said Gandalf. "Soon I think we should look for a left-hand turn to take us east. I hope it is not far."

"I think there is a light up ahead." Gimli said before long, He had keen eyes in the dark and could see farther beyond the light of the glow-stick than the rest. "But it is not daylight. It is red. What can it be?"

"Ghâsh!" muttered Gandalf, recalling how he had heard the orcs in the chamber yelling about fire as he sealed them in. "I wonder if that is what they meant: that the lower levels are on fire? Still, we can only go on."

"Yes, there is no other way. But we must take care! I fear soon we shall be out of the frying pan and into the fire." said Devin grimly.

"Literally." Added Kitty.

Soon the light became unmistakable, and could be seen by all. It was flickering and glowing on the walls away down the passage before them. They no longer needed the glow-stick to see their way: in front the road sloped down swiftly, and some way ahead there stood an archway; through it the growing light came. The air became very hot.  
>When they came to the arch Gandalf went through, signing to them to wait. As he stood just beyond the opening they saw his face lit by a red glow. Quickly he stepped back.<p>

"There is some new devilry here," he said, "devised for our welcome, no doubt. But I know now where we are: we have reached the First Deep, the level immediately below the Gates. This is the Second Hall of Old Moria and the Gates are near: away beyond the eastern end, on the left, not more than a quarter mile. Across the Bridge, up a broad stair, along a wide road, through the First Hall, and out! But come and look!"

They peered out. Before them was another cavernous hall. It was loftier and far longer than the one in which they had slept. They were near its eastward end; westward it ran away into darkness. Down the center stalked a double line of towering pillars. They were carved like boles of mighty trees whose boughs upheld the roof with a branching tracery of stone. Their stems were smooth and black, but a red glow was darkly mirrored in their sides. Right across the floor, close to the feet of two huge pillars a great fissure had opened. Out of it a fierce light came, and now and again flames licked at the brink and curled about the bases of the columns. Wisps od dark smoke wavered in the hot air.

"If we had come by the main road from the upper halls, we should have been trapped here." Said Gandalf. "Let us hope that the fire now lies between us and pursuit. Come! There is no time to lose." Even as he spoke they heard again the pursuing drum-beat: _Doom, doom, doom._ Away beyond the shadows at the western end of the hall there came cries and horn-calls. _Doom, doom:_ the pillars seemed to tremble and the flames to quiver. "Now for the last race!" said Gandalf. "If the sun is shining outside, we may still escapes. After me!"

He turned and sped across the smooth floor of the hall. The distance was greater than it had looked. As they ran they heard the beat and echo of many hurrying feet behind. A shrill yell went up: they had been seen. There was a ring and a clash of steel. An arrow whistled over Frodo's head. Boromir laughed.

"They did not expect this." He said. "The fire has cut them off. We are on the wrong side!"

"It's too soon to relax!" said Devin grimly. "Those flames were made by something much worse than orcs."

"Look ahead!" called Gandalf. "The bridge is near. It is dangerous and narrow."

Suddenly Frodo saw before him a black chasm. At the end of the hall the floor vanished and fell to an unknown depth. The outer door could only be reached by a slender bridge of stone, without kerb or rail, that spanned the chasm with one curving spring of fifty feet. It was and ancient defense of the Dwarves against any enemy that might capture the First Hall and the outer passages. They could only pass across it in single file. At the brink Gandalf halted and the others came up in a pack behind.

"Lead the way, Gimli!" he said. "Pippin and Merry next. Straight on, and up the stair beyond the door!"

Arrows fell among them. One struck Frodo and Sprang back. Another flew over Devin's head and would have hit Kitty if she hadn't ducked. Another pierced Gandalf's hat and stuck there like a black feather. Frodo looked behind. Beyond the fire he saw swarming black figures: there seemed to be hundreds of orcs. They brandished spears and scimitars which shone red as blood in the firelight. _Doom, doom_ rolled the drum-beats, growing louder and louder, _doom, doom._  
>Legolas turned and set an arrow to the strung, though it was a long shot for his small bow. He drew, but his hand fell, and the arrow slipped to the ground. He gave a cry of dismay and fear. Two great trolls had appeared; they bore great slabs of stone, and flung them down to serve as gangways over the fire. But it was not the trolls that had filled the elf with terror. The ranks of the orcs had opened, and they crowded away, as if they themselves were afraid. Something was coming up behind them. What it was could not be seen: it was like a great shadow, in the middle was a dark form, of man-shape maybe, yet greater; and the power of terror seemed to be in it and to go before it.<p>

"What fresh hell is this?" cried Kitty.

"Keep moving!" Devin urged them.

It came to the edge of the fire and the light faded as if a cloud had bent over it. then with a rush it leaped across the fissure. The flames roared up to greet it, and wreathed about it; and a black smoke swirled in the air. Its streaming mane kindled, and blazed behind it. In its right hand was a blade like a stabbing tongue of fire; in its left it held a whip of many thongs.

"Ai! Ai!" wailed Legolas. "A Balrog! A Balrog is come!" Gimli stared with wide eyes.

"Durin's Bane!" he cried, and letting his axe fall he covered his face.

"A Balrog." Muttered Gandalf. "Now I understand." He faltered and leaned heavily on his staff. "What an evil fortune! And I am already weary."

The dark figure streaming with fire raced towards them. The orcs yelled and poured over the stone gangways. Then Boromir raised his horn and blew. Loud the challenge rang and bellowed, like the shout of many throats under the cavernous roof. For a moment the orcs quailed and the fiery shadow halted. Then the echoes died as suddenly as a flame blown out by a dark wind, and the enemy advanced again.

"Over the bridge!" yelled Devin.

"Fly!" cried Gandalf, recalling his strength. "This is a foe beyond any of you. I must hold the narrow way. Fly!" Aragorn and Boromir did not heed the command, but still held their ground, side by side, behind Gandalf at the far end if the bridge. The others halted just within the doorway at the hall's end, and turned, unable to leave their leader to face the enemy alone.  
>The Balrog reached the bridge. Gandalf stood in the middle of the span, leaning on the staff in his left hand, but in his other hand Glamdring gleamed, cold and white. His enemy halted again, facing him, and the shadow about it reached out like two vast wings. It raised the whip, and the thongs whined and crack. Fire came from its nostrils. But Gandalf stood firm.<p>

"You cannot pass." He said. The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell. "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass."

The Balrog made no answer. The fire in it seemed to die, but the darkness grew. It stepped forward slowly on to the bridge, and suddenly it drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to wall; but still Gandalf could be seen, glimmering in the gloom; he seemed small, and altogether alone: grey and bent, like a wizened tree before the onset of a storm. Devin felt like her heart was in her throat as she watched.  
>From out of the shadow a red sword leaped flaming.<br>Glamdring glittered white in answer.  
>There was a ringing clash and a stab of white fire. The Balrog fell back and its sword flew up in molten fragments. The wizard stayed on the bridge, stepped back a pace, and then again stood still.<p>

"You shall not pass!" he said. With a bound the Balrog leaped full upon the bridge. Its whip whirled and hissed.

"He cannot stand alone!" cried Aragorn suddenly and ran back along the bridge. "Elendil!" he shouted. "I am with you, Gandalf!"

"Gondor!" cried Boromir and leaped after him.

At that moment Gandalf lifted his staff, and crying aloud he smote the bridge before him. The staff broke asunder and fell from his hand. A blinding sheet of white flame sprang up. The bridge cracked. Right at the Balrog's feet it broke, and the stone upon which it stood crashed into the gulf, while rest remained, poised, quivering like a tongue of rock thrust out into emptiness.  
>With a terrible cry the Balrog fell forward, and its shadow plunged down and vanished. But even as it fell, Devin knew the danger had only grown. "Look out!" she screamed as it swung its whip, but her warning was not enough; the thongs lashed and curled about the wizard's knees before he could react, dragging him to the brink. He staggered, and fell, grasped vainly at the stone, and slid into the abyss. "Fly, you fools!" he cried, and was gone.<p>

The fires went out, and blank darkness fell, broken only by the pale light of the glow-stick. The Company stood rooted with horror staring into the pit. Even as Aragorn and Boromir came flying back, the rest of the bridge cracked and fell. With a cry Aragorn roused them.

"Come! I will lead you now!" he called. "We must obey his last command. Follow me!"

They stumbled wildly up the great stairs beyond the door. Aragorn leading with the glow-stick, Boromir at the rear. At the top was a wide echoing passage. Along this they fled. Frodo heard Sam at his side weeping, and then found that he himself was weeping as he ran. _Doom, doom, doom_ the drum-beats rolled behind, mournful now and slow; _doom!_  
>They ran on. The light grew before them; great shafts pierced the roof. They ran swifter. They passed into a hall, bright with daylight from its high windows in the east. They fled across it. Through its huge broken doors they passed, and suddenly before them the Great Gates opened, an arching blaze of light.<br>There was a guard of orcs crouching in the shadows behind the great door-posts towering on either side, but the gates were shattered and cast down. Aragorn smote to the ground the captain that stood in his path, and the rest fled in terror of his wrath. The Company swept past them and took no heed of them. Out of the Gates they ran and sprang down the huge and age-worn steps, the threshold of Moria.  
>Thus, at last, they came beyond hope under the sky and felt the wind on their faces. They did not halt until they were out of bowshot from the walls. Dimrill Dale lay about them. The shadow of the Misty Mountains lay upon it, but eastwards there was a golden light on the land. It was but one hour after noon. The sun was shining; the clouds were white and high.<br>They looked back. Dark yawned the archway of the Gates under the mountain-shadow. Faint and far beneath the earth rolled the slow beat of drums: _doom._ A thin black smoke trailed out. Nothing else was to be seen; the dale all around was empty. _Doom_. Devin found herself falling to her knees with hot tears streaming down her face. Grief at last wholly overcame them all, and they wept long: some standing and silent, some cast upon the ground. _Doom, doom._ The drum-beats faded.


	20. Chapter 20

**Previously:**

_Thus, at last, they came beyond hope under the sky and felt the wind on their faces. They did not halt until they were out of bowshot from the walls. Dimrill Dale lay about them. The shadow of the Misty Mountains lay upon it, but eastwards there was a golden light on the land. It was but one hour after noon. The sun was shining; the clouds were white and high._  
><em>They looked back. Dark yawned the archway of the Gates under the mountain-shadow. Faint and far beneath the earth rolled the slow beat of drums: doom. A thin black smoke trailed out. Nothing else was to be seen; the dale all around was empty. Doom. Devin found herself falling to her knees with hot tears streaming down her face. Grief at last wholly overcame them all, and they wept long: some standing and silent, some cast upon the ground. Doom, doom. The drum-beats faded.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20: Kheled-zâram and Nimrodel<strong>

* * *

><p>"Alas! I fear we cannot stay here longer." Said Aragorn. He looked towards the mountains and held up his sword. "Farewell, Gandalf!" He cried. "Did I not say to you: <em>if you pass through the doors of Moria, beware?<em> Alas that I spoke the true! What hope have we without you?" He turned to the Company. "We must do without hope." He said. "At least we may yet be avenged—"

"If you wish to avenge the wizard then look no further. Those two knew what would happen from the start and did nothing to stop it!" said Boromir grimly, pointing an accusing finger at the two girls, glaring at Devin.

"Shut up!" Kitty snapped fiercely, holding the still sobbing Devin protectively. "You don't know a damn thing about us! Can you even imagine what it must feel like to know someone you care about is going to die, but also know there's nothing you can do to stop it? You have no idea how hard this was for Devin! It was like watching her dad die from cancer all over again! When she was 14, her mother died in a car accident. Her father survived the crash, but while operating, they found cancer in his spine. The doctors told him there was nothing they could do because the tumor was inoperable, and he only had a few years left to live. For _three years_, Devin had to watch her dad die a slow and painful death, and then he died our senior year of high school, leaving her all alone. Do you have any fucking idea what that's like? And now she's in the same situation again! If you think she wanted to let Gandalf die, then you're a fucking idiot!" she roared angrily.

The Company stood in complete silence and stared at the two girls in shock. They had no idea. For a moment everyone was at a complete loss as to how to react to this heart-breaking revelation. But then Legolas silently approached the girls, knelt down beside Devin, and embraced her alongside Kitty, holding her head to his chest in an attempt to comfort her. The hobbits slowly got up and followed, turning it into a group hug. Gimli bowed his head and gave Devin an awkward but comforting pat on hers. Dwarves didn't really do hugs.

"… She did try to warn him." Said Aragorn, glancing at Boromir. "I did not hear what was said, but she pulled him aside and spoke to him in great earnest during one of our watches, when we had been discussing the Mines. I think she wanted to put his fate back in to his own hands. It was Gandalf who chose this course, despite both our warnings." Upon hearing this Boromir bowed his head and looked away, suddenly feeling ashamed of himself. "Come!" Aragorn addressed the whole Company. "Let us gird our loins and weep no more! We have a long road, and much to do. By nightfall this land will be swarming with orcs."

Devin quickly forced herself to suck it up and dried her eyes as they all rose and looked about them. Northward the dale ran up into a glen of shadows between two great arms in the Mountains of Moria. At the head of the glen a torrent flowed like a white lace over an endless ladder of short falls, and a mist of foam hung in the air about the mountains' feet.

"Yonder is the Dimrill Stair." Said Aragorn, pointing to the falls. "Down the deep-cloven way that climbs beside the torrent we should have come, if fortune had been kinder."

"Or Caradhras less cruel." Said Gimli. "There he stands smiling in the sun!" He shook his fist at the furthest of the snow-capped peaks and turned away.

To the east the outflung arm of the mountains marched to a sudden end, and far lands could be described beyond them, wide and vague. To the south the Misty Mountains receded endlessly as far as sight could reach. Less than a mile away, and a little below them, for they stood high up on the west side of the dale, there lay a lake, broad for its depth. It was long and oval, shaped like a great spear-head thrust deep into the northern glen; but its southern end was beyond the shadows under the sunlit sky. Yet its waters were dark: a deep blue like clear evening sky seen from a lamp-lit room. Its face was still and unruffled. About it lay a smooth sward (an area of ground covered with soft grass) shelving down on all sides to its bare unbroken rim.

"There lies the Mirrormere, deep Kheled-zâram!" said Gimli sadly. "I remember he said: 'May you have joy of the sight! But we cannot linger there.' Now long shall I journey ere I have joy again. It is I that must hasten away, and he that must remain." Kitty felt the grip of Devin's hand tighten slightly on her own as they walked.

The Company now went down the road from the Gates. It was rough and broken, fading to a winding track between heather and spiny yellow flowers that thrust amid the cracking stones. But still it could be seen that once long ago a great paved way had wound upwards from the lowlands of the Dwarf Kingdom. In places there were ruined works of stone beside the path, and mounds of green topped with slender birches, or fir-trees sighing in the wind. An eastward bend led them hard by the sward of Mirrormere, and there not far from the roadside stood a single column broken at the top.

"That is Durin's stone!" cried Gimli. "I cannot pass without turning aside for a moment to look at the wonder of the dale!"

"Be swift then!" said Aragorn, looking back towards the Gates. "The Sun sinks early. The Orcs will not, maybe, come out till after dusk, but we must be far away before nightfall. The Moon is almost spent, and it will be dark tonight."

"Come with me, Frodo, Devin!" cried the dwarf, springing from the road. "I would not have you go without seeing Kheled-zâram." He ran down the long green slope. Frodo and Devin followed slowly, drawn by the still blue water in spite of hurt and weariness; in truth gazing upon the Mirrormere had been a childhood dream of hers. Sam and Kitty came up behind.  
>Beside the standing stone Gimli halted and looked up. It was cracked and weather-worn, and the faint runes upon its side could not be read. "This pillar marks the spot where Durin first looked in the Mirrormere." Said the dwarf. "Let us look ourselves once, ere we go!" They stooped over the dark water. At first they could see nothing. Then slowly they saw the forms of the encircling mountains mirrored in a profound blue, and the peaks were like plumes of white flame above them; beyond there was a space of sky. There like jewels sunk in the deep shone glinting stars, though the sunlight was in the sky above. Of their own stooping forms no shadow could be seen. Devin stared in wonder. It was even more beautiful than she had imagined, beyond words.<p>

"O Kheled-zâram fair and wonderful!" said Gimli. "There lies the crown of Durin till he wakes. Farewell!" He bowed and turned away, and hastened back up the green-sward to the road again.

"Man, that was awesome-sauce!" Kitty said appreciatively as they followed. "They sure don't make lakes like that back home!" Devin nodded quietly in agreement. Her eyes were deep and pensive like the mere, but they seemed a little lighter and less heavy than before.

"What did you see?" said Pippin to Sam, but Sam was too deep in thought to answer.

The road now turned south and went quickly downwards, running out from between the arms of the dale. Some way below the mere they came to a deep well of water, clear as crystal, from which a freshet fell over a stone lip and ran glistening and gurgling down a steep rocky channel.

"Here is the spring from which the Silverlode rises." Said Gimli. "Do not drink of it! It is icy cold."

"Soon it becomes a swift river, and it gathers water from many other mountain-streams." Said Aragorn. "Our road leads beside it for many miles. For I shall take you by the road Gandalf chose, and first I hope to come to the woods where the Silverlode flows into the Great River—out yonder." They looked as he pointed, and before them they could see the stream leaping down to the trough of the valley, and then running on and away into the lower lands, until it was lost in a golden haze.

"There lie the woods of Lothlórien!" said Legolas. "That is the fairest of all the dwellings of my people. There are no trees like the trees of that land. For in the autumn their leaves fall not, but turn to gold. Not till the spring comes and the new green opens do they fall, and then the boughs are laden with yellow flowers; and the floor of the wood is golden, and the roof is golden, and its pillars are of silver, for the bark of the trees is smooth and grey. So still our songs in Mirkwood say. My heart would be glad if I were beneath the eaves of that woods, and it were springtime!"

"My heart will be glad, even in winter." Aragorn said.

"For reals." Agreed Kitty. They didn't have their winter gear, and it was still pretty freaking cold by Louisiana standards.

"But it lies many miles away." Said Aragorn. "Let us hasten!"

For some time Frodo and Sam managed to keep up with the others; but Aragorn was leading them at a great pace, and after a while they lagged behind. They had eaten nothing since the early morning. Sam's cut was burning like fire, and his head felt light. In spite of the shining sun the wind seemed chill after the warm darkness of Moria. He shivered. Frodo felt every step more painful and he gasped for breath. Devin noticed this, and she and Kitty fell back to keep pace with them.

"Are you all right?" she asked worriedly, feeling guilty for letting her grief blind her to their pain, even though she should have known this would happen since it was in the book. Before the hobbits could answer Legolas turned, and seeing them now far behind, spoke to Aragorn. The others halted, and Aragorn ran back, calling to Boromir to come with him.

"I am sorry, Frodo!" he cried, full of concern. "So much has happened this day and we have such need of haste, that I have forgotten that you were hurt; and Sam too. You should have spoken. We have done nothing to ease you, as we ought, though all the orcs of Moria were after us. Come now! A little further on there is a place where we can rest for a little. There I will do what I can for you. Come, Boromir! We will carry them."

Soon afterwards they came upon another stream that ran down from the west, and joined its bubbling water with the hurrying Silverlode. Together they plunged over a fall of green-hued stone, and foamed down into a dell. About it stood fir-trees, short and bent, and its sides were steep and clothed in harts-tongue and shrubs of whortle-berry. At the bottom there was a level space through which the stream flowed noisily over shining pebbles. Here they rested. It was now nearly three hours after noon, and they had come only a few miles from the Gates. Already the sun was westering.  
>While Gimli, the two younger hobbits, and the girls kindled a fire of brush- and fir-wood, and drew water, Aragorn tended Sama and Frodo. Sam's wound was not deep, but it looked ugly, and Aragorn's face was grave as he examined it. After a moment he looked up with relief.<p>

"Good luck, Sam!" he said. "Many have received worse than this in payment for felling their first orc. The cut is not poisoned, as the wounds of orc-blades too often are. It should heal well when I have tended it. Bathe it when Gimli has heated water." He opened his pouch and drew out some withered leaves. "They are dry, and some of their virtue is gone," he said, "but here I have still some of the leaves of _athelas_ that Devin gathered near Weathertop. Crush one in the water, and wash the wound clean, and I will bind it. Now it is your turn, Frodo!"

"I am all right," said Frodo, reluctant to have his garments touched. "All I needed was some food and a little rest."

"No!" said Aragorn. "We must have a look and see what the hammer and anvil have done to you. I still marvel that you are alive at all." Gently he stripped off Frodo's old jacket and worn tunic, and gave a gasp of wonder. Then he laughed. The silver corslet shimmered before his eyes like the light upon a rippling sea. Carefully he took it off and held it up, and the gems on it glittered like stars, and the sound of the shaken rings was like the tinkle of rain in a pool.

"Look, my friends!" he called. "Here's a pretty hobbit-skin to wrap an elf-princeling in! If it were known that hobbits had such hides, all the hunters of Middle-earth would be riding to the Shire."

"Ooh!" Kitty said mesmerized by its beautiful shine.

"And all the arrows of all the hunters would be in vain." Said Gimli, also gazing at the mail in wonder. "It is a mithril-coat. Mithril! I have never heard tell of one so fair. Is this the coat that Gandalf spoke of? Then he undervalued it. But it was well given!"

"I have often wondered what you and Bilbo were doing, so close in his little room." Said Merry. "Bless the old hobbit! I love him more than ever. I hope we get a chance of telling him about it!"

"Can I—" Kitty started to ask if she could try it on for a moment.

"No." Devin answered bluntly, knowing exactly what her friend was thinking. She did not feel like she had the energy left to wrestle the corslet away from Kitty should she decide she wanted to try to keep it, which she undoubtedly would. Kitty was like a magpie when it came to collecting shiny things.

"Stingy." Kitty pouted.

There was a dark and blackened bruise on Frodo's right side and breast. Under the mail there was a shirt of soft leather, but at one point the rings had been driven through it into the flesh. Frodo's left side also was scored and bruised where he had been hurled against the wall. While the others set the food ready, Aragorn bathed the hurts with water in which _athelas _was steeped. The pungent fragrance filled the dell, and all those who stooped over the steaming water felt refreshed and strengthened. Soon Frodo felt the pain leave him, and his breath grew easy: though he was stiff and sore to the touch for many days.

"Ah, that's the stuff." Said Kitty, still huffing the fragrant steam, while Aragorn bound some soft pads of cloth at Frodo's side. Devin allowed herself a small, wry smile and shook her head. At least someone was enjoying themself.

"This mail is marvelously light." Said Aragorn. "Put it on again, if you can bear it. My heart is glad to know that you have such a coat. Do not lay it aside, even in sleep, unless fortune brings you where you are safe for a while; and that will seldom chance while your quest lasts."

When they had eaten, the Company got ready to go on. They put out the fire and hid all traces of it. Then climbing out of the dell they took to the road again. They had not gone far before the sun sank behind the westward heights and great shadows crept down the mountain-sides. Dusk veiled their feet, and mist rose in the hollows. Away in the east the evening light lay pale upon the dim lands of distant plain and wood. Sam and Frodo now feeling eased and greatly refreshed were able to go at a fair pace, and with only one brief halt before Aragorn led the Company on for nearly three more hours.  
>It was dark. Deep night had fallen. There were many clear stars, but the fast-waning moon would not be seen till late. Gimli and Frodo were near at the rear, walking softly and not speaking, listening for any sound upon the road behind. At length Gimli broke the silence.<p>

"Not a sound but the wind." He said. "There are no goblins near, or my ears are made of wood. It is to be hoped that the Orcs will be content with driving us from Moria. And maybe that was their purpose, and they had nothing else to do with us—with the Ring. Though Orcs will often pursue foes for many leagues into the plain, if they have a fallen captain to avenge." Frodo did not answer. He looked at Sting, and the blade was dull. Yet he had heard something, or thought he had. As soon as the shadows had fallen about them and the road behind was dim, he had heard again the quick patter of feet. Even now he heard it. He turned swiftly. There were two tiny gleams of light behind, or for a moment he thought he saw them, but at once they slipped aside and vanished.

"What is it?" said the dwarf.

"I don't know." answered Frodo. "I thought I heard feet, and I thought I saw a light—like eyes. I have thought so often, since we first entered Moria." Gimli halted and stooped to the ground.

"I hear nothing but the night-speech of plant and stone." He said. "Come! Let us hurry! The others are out of sight."

The night-wind blew chill up the valley to meet them. Before them a wide grey shadow loomed, and they heard an endless rustle of leaves like poplars in the breeze.

"Lothlórien!" cried Legolas. "Lothlórien! We have come to the eaves of the Golden Wood. Alas that it is winter!" Under the night the trees stood tall before them, arched over the road and stream that ran suddenly beneath their spreading boughs. In the dim light of the stars their stems were grey, and their quivering leaves a hint of fallow gold.

"Lothlórien!" said Aragorn. "Glad am I to hear again the wind in the trees! We are little more than five leagues from the Gates, but we can go no further. Here let us hope that the virtue of the Elves will keep us tonight from the peril that comes behind."

"If Elves indeed still dwell here in the darkening world." Said Gimli.

"It is long since any of my own folk journeyed hither back to the land whence we wandered in ages long ago," said Legolas, "but we hear that Lórien is not yet deserted, for there is a secret power that holds evil from the land. Nevertheless its folk are seldom seen, and maybe they now dwell deeper in the woods and far from the northern border."

'That's because they're protected by the power of Galadriel's ring.' Thought Devin.

"Indeed deep in the wood they dwell." Said Aragorn, and sighed as if some memory stirred in him. "We must fend for ourselves tonight. We will go forward a short way, until the trees are all about us, and then we will turn aside from the path and seek a place to rest in." He stepped forward; but Boromir stood irresolute and did not follow.

"Is there no other way?" he said.

"What other fairer way would you desire?" said Aragorn.

"A plain road, though it led through a hedge of swords." Said Boromir. "By strange paths has this Company been led, and so far to evil fortune. Against my will we passed under the shadow of Moria, to our loss. And now we must enter the Golden Wood, you say. But of that perilous land we have heard in Gondor, and it is said that few come out who once go in; and of that few none have escaped unscathed."

"Oh, come on. Don't be such a wuss." Said Kitty.

"Say not _unscathed_, but if you say _unchanged_, then maybe you will speak the truth." Said Aragorn.

"The Elves of Lothlórien have grown very cautious in these dark and dangerous times, but the Lady who rules them is very wise and beautiful. They will not harm us without cause." Said Devin.

"Yes," agreed Aragorn; "lore wanes in Gondor, Boromir, if in the city of those who once were wise they speak evil of Lothlórien. Believe what you will, there is no other way for us—unless you would go back to the Moria-gate, or scale the pathless mountains, or swim the Great River all alone."

"Then lead on!" said Boromir. "But it is perilous."

"Perilous indeed," said Aragorn, "fair and perilous; but only evil need fear it, or those who bring some evil with them. Follow me!"

They had gone little more than a mile into the forest when they came upon another stream, flowing down swiftly from the tree-clad slopes that climbed back westward towards the mountains. They heard it splashing over a fall away among the shadows on their right. Its dark hurrying waters ran across the path before them, and joined the Silverlode in a swirl of dim pools among the roots of trees.

"Here is Nimrodel!" said Legolas. "Of this stream the Silvan Elves made many songs long ago, and still we sing them in the North, remembering the rainbow on its falls, and the golden flowers that floated in its foam. All is dark now and the Bridge if Nimrodel is broken down. I will bathe my feet, for it is said that the water is healing to the weary." He went forward and climbed down the deep-cloven bank and stepped into the stream. "Follow me!" he called. "The water is not deep. Let us wade across! On the further bank we can rest, and the sound of the falling water may bring us sleep and forgetfulness of grief." One by one they climbed down and followed Legolas. For a moment Devin stood near the brink holding her footwear in hand and let the water flow over her tired feet. It was cold but its touch was clean, and as she went on and it mounted to her knees, she felt that the stain of travel and all weariness was washed from her limbs, and the burden on her heart began to feel a little lighter.

When all the Company had crossed, they sat and rested and ate a little food; and Legolas told them tales of Lothlórien that the Elves of Mirkwood still kept in their hearts, of sunlight and starlight upon the meadows by the Great River before the world was grey.  
>At length a silence fell, and they heard the music of the waterfall running sweetly in the shadows. Almost Devin and Frodo fancied that they could hear a voice singing, mingled with the sound of the water.<p>

"Do you hear the voice of Nimrodel?" asked Legolas. "I will sing you a song of the maiden Nimrodel, who bore the same name as the stream beside which she lived long ago. It is a fair song in our woodland tongue; but this is how it runs in the Westron Speech, as some in Rivendell now sing it." In a soft voice hardly to be heard amid the rustle of the leaves above them he began:

_An Elven-maid there was of old,_  
><em>A shining star by day:<em>  
><em>Her mantle white was hemmed with gold,<em>  
><em>Her shoes of silver-grey.<em>

_A star was bound upon her brows,_  
><em>A light was on her hair<em>  
><em>As sun upon the golden boughs<em>  
><em>In Lórien the fair.<em>

_Her hair was long, her limbs were white,_  
><em>And fair she was and free;<em>  
><em>And in the wind she went as light<em>  
><em>As leaf of linden-tree.<em>

_Beside the falls of Nimrodel,_  
><em>By water clear and cool,<em>  
><em>Her voice as falling silver fell<em>  
><em>Into the shining pool.<em>

_Where now she wanders none can tell,_  
><em>In sunlight or in shade;<em>  
><em>For lost of yore was Nimrodel<em>  
><em>And in the mountains strayed.<em>

_The elven-ship in haven grey_  
><em>Beneath the mountain-lee<em>  
><em>Awaited her for many a day<em>  
><em>Beside the roaring sea.<em>

_A wind by night in Northern lands_  
><em>Arose, and loud it cried,<em>  
><em>And drove the ship from elven-strands<em>  
><em>Across the streaming tide.<em>

_When dawn came dim the land was lost,_  
><em>The mountains sinking grey<em>  
><em>Beyond the heaving waves that tossed<em>  
><em>Their plumes of blinding spray.<em>

_Amroth beheld the fading shore_  
><em>Now low beyond the swell,<em>  
><em>And cursed the faithless ship that bore<em>  
><em>Him far from Nimrodel.<em>

_Of old he was an Elven-king,_  
><em>A lord of tree and glen,<em>  
><em>When golden were the boughs in spring<em>  
><em>In fair Lothlórien.<em>

_From helm to sea they saw him leap,_  
><em>As arrow from the string,<em>  
><em>And dive into water deep,<em>  
><em>As mew upon the wing.<em>

_The wind was in his flowing hair,_  
><em>The foam about him shone;<em>  
><em>Afar they saw him strong and fair<em>  
><em>Go riding like a swan.<em>

_But from the West has come no word,_  
><em>And on the Hither Shore<em>  
><em>No tidings Elven-folk have heard<em>  
><em>Of Amroth evermore.<em>

The voice of Legolas faltered, and the sing ceased. "I cannot sing any more." He said. "That is but a part, for I have forgotten much. It is long and sad, for it tells how sorrow came upon Lothlórien, Lórien of the Blossom, when the Dwarves awakened evil in the mountains.

"But the Dwarves did not make the evil." Said Gimli.

"I said not so; yet evil came." Answered Legolas sadly. "Then many of the Elves of Nimrodel's kindred left their dwellings and departed, and she was lost far in the South, in the passes of the White Mountains; and she came not to the ship where Amroth her lover waited for her. But in the spring when the wind is in the new leaves the echo of her voice may still be heard by the falls that bear her name. And when the wind is in the South the voice if Amroth comes up from the sea; for Nimrodel flows into Silverlode, that the Elves call Celebrant, and Celebrant into Anduin the Great, and Anduin flows into the Bay of Belfalas whence the Elves of Lórien set sail. But neither Nimrodel nor Amroth ever came back.  
>"It is told that she had a house built in the branches of tree that grew near the falls; for that was the custom of the Elves of Lórien, to dwell in the trees, and maybe it is so still. Therefore they were called the Galadrim, the Tree-people. Deep in their forest the trees are very great. The people of the woods did not delve in the ground like Dwarves, nor build strong places of stone before the Shadow came."<p>

"And even in these latter days dwelling in the trees might be thought safer than sitting on the ground." Said Gimli. He looked across the stream to the road that lead back to Dimrill Dale, and then up into the roof of dark boughs above.

"Your words bring good counsel, Gimli." Said Aragorn. "We cannot build a house, but tonight we will do as the Galadrim and seek refuge in the tree-tops, if we can. We have sat here beside the road already longer than was wise."

"All right, time to nap Katniss-style." Said Kitty.


	21. Chapter 21

**Previously:**

_"And even in these latter days dwelling in the trees might be thought safer than sitting on the ground." Said Gimli. He looked across the stream to the road that lead back to Dimrill Dale, and then up into the roof of dark boughs above._

_"Your words bring good counsel, Gimli." Said Aragorn. "We cannot build a house, but tonight we will do as the Galadrim and seek refuge in the tree-tops, if we can. We have sat here beside the road already longer than was wise."_

_"All right, time to nap Katniss-style." Said Kitty._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 21: Lothlórien<strong>

* * *

><p>The Company now turned aside from the path, and went into the shadow of the deeper woods, westward along the mountain-stream away from Silverlode. Not far from the falls of Nimrodel they found a cluster of trees, some of which overhung the stream. Their grey trunks were of mighty girth, but their height could not be guessed.<p>

"I will climb up." Said Legolas. "I am at home among trees, by root or bough, though these are of a kind strange to me, save as a name in song. _Mellyrn_ they are called, and are those that bear the yellow blossom, but I have never climbed one. I will see now what is their shape and way of growth."

"Whatever it may be," said Pippin, "they will be marvelous trees indeed if they can offer any rest at night, except to birds. I cannot sleep on a perch!"

"Then dig a hole in the ground," said Legolas, "if that is more after the fashion of your kind. But you must dig swift and deep, if you wish to hide from Orcs."

"Be careful!" Devin called softly as he sprang lightly up from the ground and caught a branch that grew from the trunk high above his head. But even as he swung there for a moment, a voice spoke suddenly from the tree-shadows above him.

_"Daro!_" it said in a commanding tone, and Legolas dropped back to the earth in surprise and fear. He shrank back against the bole of the tree.

"Stand still!" he whispered to the others. "Do not move or speak!" There was soft laughter heard over their heads, and then another clear voice spoke in an elven-tongue. Frodo could understand little of what was said, for the speech that the Silvan folk east of the mountains used among themselves was unlike that of the West. Legolas looked up and answered in the same language.

"Who are they, and what do they say?" asked Merry.

"They're Elves." Said Sam. "Can't you hear their voices?"

"Yes, they are Elves," said Legolas; "and they say that you breathe so loud that they could shoot you in the dark." Sam hastily put his hand over his mouth. "But they say also that you need have no fear. They have been aware of us for a long while. They heard my voice across the Nimrodel, and knew that I was one of their Northern kindred, and therefore they did not hinder our crossing; and afterwards they heard my song. Now they bid me climb up with Frodo; for they seem to have had some tidings of him and of our journey. The others they ask to wait a little and to keep watch at the foot of the tree, until they have decided what is to be done."

Out of the shadows a ladder was let down: it was made of rope, silver-grey and glimmering in the dark, and though it looked slender it proved strong enough to bear many men. Legolas ran lightly up, and Frodo followed slowly; behind came Sam trying not to breathe loudly. The branches of the mallorn-tree grew out nearly straight from the trunk, and then swept upward; but near the top the main stem divided into a crown of many boughs, and among these they found that there had been built a wooden platform, or _flet_ as such things were called it in those days: the Elves called it a _talan._ It was reached by a round hole in the center through which the ladder passed.

"Hey, is that okay?" Kitty whispered. "They didn't ask for Sam."

"It's fine, because it's Sam." Devin whispered back. "Don't worry, just leave this one to Legolas."

"Hmm. You've got a lot of faith your boyfriend, huh?" Kitty cooed teasingly with a sly grin. It was so obvious Devin had a crush on the Elf.

"Sh-Shut up!" Devin stuttered lowly, blushing furiously. Didn't she realize they could totally hear everything they were saying?

When Frodo came at last up on to the flet he found Legolas seated with three other Elves. They were clad in shadowy-grey and could not be seen among the tree-stems, unless they moved suddenly. They stood up, and one of them uncovered a small lamp that gave out a slender silver beam. He held it up, looking at Frodo's face, and then Sam's. Then he shut off the light again, and spoke words of welcome in his elven-tongue. Frodo spoke haltingly in return.

"Welcome!" the Elf then said again the Common Language, speaking slowly. "We seldom use any tongue but our own; for we dwell now in the heart of the forest, and do not willingly have dealings with any other folk. Even our own kindred in the North are sundered from us. But there are some of us still who go abroad for the gathering of news and the watching of our enemies, and they speak the languages of other lands. I am one. Haldir is my name. My brothers, Rúmil and Orophin speak little of your tongue.  
>"But we have heard rumors of your coming, for the messengers of Elrond passed by Lórien on their way home up the Dimrill Stair. We had not heard of—hobbits, of halflings, for many a long year, and did not know that any of you dwelt in Middle-earth. You do not look evil! And since you come with an Elf of our kindred, we are willing to befriend you, as Elrond asked; though it is not our custom to lead strangers through our land. But you must stay here tonight. How many are you?"<p>

"Ten." Said Legolas. "Myself, four hobbits, two girls; and two men, one of whom, Aragorn, is an Elf-friend to the folk of Westernesse."

"The name of Aragorn son of Arathorn is known in Lórien," said Haldir, "and he has the favor of the Lady. All is well. But you have only spoken of nine."

"The tenth is a dwarf." Said Legolas.

"A dwarf!" said Haldir. "That is not well. We have not had dealings with the Dwarves since the Dark Days. They are not permitted in our land. I cannot allow him to pass."

"But he is from the Lonely Mountain, one of Dáin's trusty people, and friendly to Elrond." Said Frodo. "Elrond himself chose him to be one of our companions, and he has been brave and faithful."

The Elves spoke together in soft voices, and questioned Legolas in their own tongue. "Very good." Said Haldir at last. "We will do this, though it is against our liking. If Aragorn and Legolas guard him, and answer for him, he shall pass; but he must go blindfolded through Lothlórien.  
>"But now we must debate no longer. Your folk must not remain on the ground. We have been keeping watch on the rivers, ever since we saw a great troop of Orcs going north towards Moria, along the skirts of the mountains, many days ago. Wolves are howling on the wood's borders. If you have indeed come from Moria, the peril cannot be far behind. Tomorrow early you must go on.<br>"The four hobbits shall climb up here and stay with us—we do not fear them! There is another _talan_ in the next tree. There the others must take refuge. You, Legolas, must answer to us for them. Call us, if anything is amiss! And have an eye on that dwarf!"

Legolas at once went down the ladder to take Haldir's message; and soon afterwards Merry and Pippin clambered up on to the high flet, while the others hid the luggage they would not need for the night in a deep drift of leaves and made their way up to the other _talan_ with their blankets. Gimli was rather huffy about needing a 'guard', but they were all glad to be off the ground and out of immediate danger.

"This is fun." Said Kitty as she wrapped herself in her blanket and snuggled close to Devin for warmth. "Like when we used to have sleepovers in the tree-house your dad made for us. And that Haldir sounds _fine_."

"Do you not ever stop?" asked Boromir, chagrined to find her chasing after yet another Elf.

"No." Kitty said frankly. "I mean, what would be the fun in that?"

"You also dwelled in the trees in your land?" Legolas asked Devin.

"Oh, no. Some people might, but most of us lived on the ground. But it is common for parents to build small tree-houses for their children to play in." Devin explained.

"Yeah, it was like our secret base!" said Kitty with a grin. "That thing was the bomb. We even had hammocks in the shady space underneath the platform. Yeah, those were the good old days." She sighed wistfully. Then they grew up and life got complicated. "Hey, Devin, can you sing me a lullaby?"

"What, now?" asked Devin, raising an eyebrow.

"Please?" Kitty said sweetly, batting her eyelashes. "I'm too excited to get to sleep without one." She was wound up tighter than a cuckoo clock.

"All right, but just one." Said Devin with a wry smile. "Any requests?"

"The Irish Lullaby." Said Kitty.

"That one, huh?" Devin said softly, gazing up at the stars glinting through the pale roof of quivering leaves. She began to sing in a low, sweet and mournful melody one of the songs her mother used to sing to her:

_Over in Killarney, many years ago_  
><em>My mother sang a song to me<em>  
><em>in tones so sweet and low<em>  
><em>Just a simple little ditty<em>  
><em>in her good old Irish way<em>  
><em>And I'd give the world if she could sing<em>  
><em>that song to me this day<em>

_Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,_  
><em>Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!<em>  
><em>Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,<em>  
><em>Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby.<em>

_Oft in dreams I wander_  
><em>to that cot again.<em>  
><em>I feel her arms a-hugging me<em>  
><em>As when she held me then.<em>  
><em>And I hear her voice a-hummin'<em>  
><em>to me as in the days of yore,<em>  
><em>when she used to rock me fast asleep<em>  
><em>outside the cabin door.<em>

_Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,_  
><em>Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry…<em>

Devin must have been more tired than any of them had realized because she drifted off before she could finish her song, and fell asleep leaning against Kitty, who had gone out like a light shortly after the first verse. Legolas lay listening to the wind in the boughs above, and the sweet murmur of the falls of Nimrodel below with Devin's song running through his mind. It was the first time Devin had ever sang the Irish lullaby in front of their group, but it was not his first time hearing it.

Devin woke again late in the night. Kitty and Gimli were still asleep, but Legolas was gone, and the others were wide-awake, tense as they peered over the edge of the flet, listening. Aragorn and Boromir had their hands on the hilts of their swords. Carefully and quietly, Devin moved closer to the edge and squinted into the darkness in an attempt to see what Legolas was up to. The sickle Moon was gleaming dimly among the leaves. The wind was still. A little way off she heard a harsh laugh and the tread of many feet on the ground below. There was a ring of metal. The sounds died slowly away, and seemed to go southward, on into the wood. Then there were no more sounds. Even the leaves were silent, and the very falls seem to be hushed. Devin shivered. She was fully aware that Legolas could take care of himself and had most likely gone to help his woodland kin, but she could not help but feel anxious for his safe return. She understood why the others were so tense. They were all thankful that they had not been caught on the ground; but the trees offered little protection, except concealment. Orcs were as keen as hounds on a scent, it was said, but they could also climb. They waited with bated breath until Legolas silently rejoined them.

"A strong company of Orcs has passed." He said. "They crossed the Nimrodel—curse their foul feet in its clean water!—and went on down the old road beside the river. They seemed to pick some scent, and they searched the ground for a while near the place were we halted. Haldir did not feel the four of us could challenge a hundred, so we went ahead and spoke in feigned voices, leading them into the wood. Orophin has now gone back in haste to their dwellings to warn their people. None of the Orcs will ever return out of Lórien. And there will be many Elves hidden on the northern border before another night falls. But we must take the road south as soon as it is fully light."

Day came pale from the East. As the light grew it filtered through the yellow leaves of the mallorn, and it seemed that the early sun of a cool summer's morning was shining. Pale-blue sky peeped among the moving branches. Looking through an opening on the south side of the _talan_ Devin saw all the valley of the Silverlode lying like a sea of fallow gold tossing gently in the breeze.

"Beautiful." She breathed as she gazed out in wonder.

"Yes." agreed Legolas with a soft smile.

The morning was still young and cold when the Company set out again, guided now by Haldir and his brother Rúmil. "Farewell, sweet Nimrodel!" cried Legolas. Frodo and Devin looked back and caught a gleam of white foam among the grey tree-stems. "Farewell." They said. It seemed to them they would never hear again a running water so beautiful, for ever blending its innumerable notes in an endless changeful music.  
>They went back to the path that still went on along the west side of the Silverlode, and for some way they followed it southward. There were the prints of orc-feet in the earth. But soon Haldir turned aside into the trees and halted on the bank of the river under their shadows.<p>

"There is one of my people yonder across the stream," he said, "though you may not see him." He gave a call like the low whistle of a bird, and out of a thicket of young trees an Elf stepped, clad in grey, but with his hood thrown back; his hair glinted like gold in the morning sun. Haldir skillfully cast over the stream a coil of grey rope, and he caught it and bound the end about a tree near the bank. "Celebrant is already a strong stream here, as you see," said Haldir, "and it runs both swift and deep, and is very cold. We do not set foot in it so far north, unless we must. But in these days of watchfulness we do not make bridges. This is how we cross! Follow me!" He made his end of the rope fast about another tree, and then ran lightly along it, over the river and back again, as if he were on a road.

"Wow. Okay, your turn, Devin!" Kitty said, pushing her friend to the front. "You've got this."

"No, I don't. A rope is way different from a balance-beam, Kitty." Devin protested, digging in her heels.

"I can walk this path," said Legolas; "but the others have not this skill. Must they swim?"

"No!" said Haldir. "We have two more ropes. We will fasten them above the other, one shoulder-high, and another half-high, and holding these the strangers should be able to cross with care."

When this slender bridge had been made, the Company passed over, some cautiously and slowly, others more easily. Kitty soon learned just how right Devin had been about the rope-bridge, and found herself inching along like a caterpillar as she tried not to lose her balance and fall off, clutching the guide rope like a life-line. Devin, however, found the task much easier than she had been expecting and walked across almost as quickly and lightly as the Elves with only one hand loosely poised on the guide rope, just in case.

"Forget cheerleading, you should be in Cirque du Soleil." Kitty told her.

Of the hobbits Pippin proved the best for he was sure-footed, and he walked over quickly, also holding only with one hand; but he kept his eyes on the bank ahead and did not look down. Sam shuffled along, clutching hard, and looking down into the pale eddying water as if it was a chasm in the mountains.  
>He breathed with relief when he was safely across.<p>

"Live and learn! As my gaffer used to say. Though he was thinking of gardening, not if roosting like a bird, nor of trying to walk like a spider. Not even my uncle Andy could do a trick like that!"

When at length all the Company was gathered on the east bank of the Silverlode, the Elves untied the ropes and coiled two of them. Rúmil, who had remained on the other side, drew back the last one, slung it over his shoulder, and with a wave of his hand went away, back to Nimrodel to keep watch.

"Now, friends," said Haldir, "you have entered the Naith of Lórien, or the Gore, as you would say, for it is the land that lies like a spearhead between the arms of Silverlode and Anduin the Great. We allow no strangers to spy out the secrets of the Naith. Few indeed are permitted even to set foot there.  
>"As was agreed, I shall here blindfold the eyes of Gimli the Dwarf. The others may walk free for a while, until we come nearer to our dwellings, down in Egladil, in the Angle between the waters." This was not at all to the liking of Gimli.<p>

"The agreement was made without my consent." He said. "I will not walk blindfolded, like a beggar or a prisoner. And I am no spy. My folk have never had dealings with any servants of the Enemy. Neither have we done harm to the Elves. I am no more likely to betray you than Legolas, or any other of my companions."

"I do not doubt you." Said Haldir. "Yet this is our law. I am not the master of the law, and cannot set it aside. I have done much in letting you set foot over Celebrant." Gimli was obstinate. He planted his feet firmly apart, and laid his hand upon the haft of his axe.

"I will go forward free," he said, "or I will go back and seek my own land, where I am known to be true of word, though I perish alone in the wilderness."

"You cannot go back." Said Haldir sternly. "Now you have come thus far, you must be brought before the Lord and the Lady. They shall judge you, to hold you or to give you leave, as they will. You cannot cross the rivers again, and behind you there are now secret sentinels that you cannot pass. You would be slain before you saw them." Gimli drew his axe from his belt. Haldir and his companion bent their bows.

"Well, that escalated quickly." Said Kitty, taking a step back, while Devin sighed.

"A plague on Dwarves and their stiff necks!" said Legolas.

"Come!" said Aragorn. "If I am to lead this Company, you must do as I bid. It is hard upon the Dwarf to be singled out."

"Yeah, no offense, but your laws sound pretty racist." Said Kitty with a frown. Devin agreed, but she already knew having this debate would be a moot point once they met Lady Galadriel; but in order to do that they first had to jump through this hoop.

"If one of us is blindfolded, then we should all be blindfolded." Devin said, though she knew Legolas wouldn't like it.

"Yes, we shall all be blindfolded," agreed Aragorn, who had been about to suggest just that before Kitty butted in; "even Legolas. That will be best, though it will make the journey slow and dull." Gimli laughed suddenly.

"A merry troop of fools we shall look!" the Dwarf said. "Will Haldir lead us all on a string, like many blind beggars with one dog? But I will be content, if only Legolas here shares my blindness."

"I am an Elf and a kinsman here." Said Legolas, becoming angry in his turn.

"Now let us cry: 'a plague upon the stiff necks of Elves!'" said Aragorn. "But the Company shall all fare alike. Come bind our eyes, Haldir!"

"Kinky." Commented Kitty with a smirk as they bound her eyes with cloth, earning herself a few raised eyebrows, though she could no longer see them.

"I shall claim full amends for every fall and stubbed toe, if you do not lead us well." Said Gimli when it was his turn.

"You will have no claim." Said Haldir. "I shall lead you well, and the paths are smooth and straight."

"Alas for the folly of these days!" said Legolas. "Here all are enemies of the one Enemy, and yet I must walk blind, while the sun is merry in the woodland under the leaves of gold!"

"Folly it may seem." Said Haldir. "Indeed in nothing is the power of the Dark Lord more clearly shown than in the estrangement that divides all those who still oppose him. Yet so little faith and trust do we find now in the world beyond Lothlórien, unless maybe in Rivendell, that we dare not by our own trust endanger our land. We live now upon an island amid many perils, and our hands are more often upon the bowstring than upon the harp.  
>"The rivers long defended us, but they are a sure guard no more; for the Shadow has crept northward all about us. Some speak of departing, yet for that it already seems too late. The mountains to the west are growing evil; to the east the lands are waste, and full of Sauron's creatures; and it is rumored that we cannot now safely pass southward through Rohan, and the mouths of the Great River are watched by the Enemy. Even if we could come to the shores of the Sea, we should find no longer any shelter there. It is said there are still havens of the High Elves, but they are far north and west, beyond the land of the Halflings. But where that may be, though the Lord and Lady may know, I do not."<p>

"You ought to at least guess, since you have seen us." Said Merry. "There are Elf-havens west of my land, the Shire, where Hobbits live."

"Happy folk are the Hobbits to dwell near the shores of the sea!" said Haldir. "It is long indeed since any of my folk have looked on it, yet we still remember it in song. Tell me of these havens as we walk."

"I cannot." Said Merry. "I have never seen them. I have never been out of my own land before. And if I had known what the world outside was like, I don't think I should have had the heart to leave it."

"Not even to see fair Lothlórien?" said Haldir. "The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.  
>"Some there are among us who sing that the Shadow will draw back, and peace shall come again. Yet I do not believe that the world about us will ever be as it was of old, or the light of the Sun as it was aforetime. For the Elves, I fear, it will prove at best a truce, in which they may pass to the Sea unhindered and leave the Middle-earth forever. Alas for Lothlórien that I love! It would be a poor life in a land where no mallorn grew. But if there are mallorn-trees beyond the Great Sea, none have reported."<p>

"… I think I understand." said Devin quietly after a pause. The girls had been unusually silent as they listened, for they could not help but be reminded of the events of Katrina and the slow recovery afterwards. The grief of the Elves was like that of the people of New Orleans, of everyone who had suffered through the damage and devastation. Even now, ten years later, the effects could still be felt in Louisiana. Just as with the loss of a loved one, the wound might heal, but you would never be the same. There would always be a scar beneath the surface. There was now only 'before' and 'after'.  
>All of the Elves could detect the sorrow in her voice and were surprised to find how much it seemed to resonate with their own.<p>

"Yes," said Haldir, "I believe you do."

As they spoke thus, the Company filed slowly along the paths in the wood, led by Haldir, while the other Elf walked behind. They felt the ground beneath their feet smooth and soft, and after a while they walked more freely, without fear of hurt or fall. Being deprived of sight, Frodo found his hearing and other senses sharpened. He could smell the trees and the trodden grass. He could hear many different notes in the rustle of the leaves overhead, the river murmuring away on his right, and the thin clear voices of birds in the sky. He felt the sun upon his face and hands when they passed through and open glade.  
>As soon as he set foot upon the far bank of the Silverlode a strange feeling had come upon him, and it deepened as he walked on into the Naith: it seemed to him that he had stepped over a bridge of time into a corner of the Elder Days, and was now walking in a world that was no more. In Rivendell there was memory of ancient things; in Lórien the ancient things still lived on in the waking world. Evil had been seen and heard there, sorrow had been known; the Elves feared and distrusted the world outside: wolves were howling on the wood's borders: but on the land of Lórien no shadow lay.<p>

All that day the Company marched on, until they felt the cool evening come and heard the early night-wind whispering among many leaves. Then they rested and slept without fear upon the ground; for their guides would not permit them to unbind their eyes, and they could not climb. In the morning they went on again, walking without haste. At noon they halted, and Devin was aware that they had passed out under the shining Sun. Suddenly she heard the sound of many voices all around her.  
>A marching host of Elves had come up silently: they were hastening toward the northern borders to guard against any attack from Moria; and they brought news, some of which Haldir reported. The marauding orcs had been waylaid and almost all destroyed; the remnant had fled westward towards the mountains, and were being pursued. A strange creature also had been seen, running with bent back and with hands near the ground, like a beast and yet not of beast-shape. From this description, Devin knew the creature had been none other than Gollum. He had eluded capture, and they had not shot him, not knowing whether he was good or ill, he had vanished down the Silverlode southward.<p>

"Also," said Haldir, "they bring me a message from the Lord and Lady of the Galadrim. You are all to walk free, even the dwarf Gimli. It seems the Lady know who and what is each member of your Company. New messages have come from Rivendell perhaps." He removed the bandage first from Gimli's eyes. "Your pardon!" he said, bowing low. "Look on us now with friendly eyes! Look and be glad, for you are the first dwarf to behold the trees of the Naith of Lórien since Durin's Day!"

When her eyes were uncovered, Devin looked up and caught her breath. They were standing in an open space. To the left stood a great mound, covered with a sward of grass as green as Springtime in the Elder days. Upon it, as a double crown, grew two circles of trees: the outer had bark of snowy white, and were leaf-less but beautiful in their shapely nakedness; the inner were mallorn-trees of great height, still arrayed in pale gold. High amid the branches of a towering tree that stood in the center of all there gleamed a white flet. At the feet of the trees, and all about the green hillsides, the grass was studded with small golden flowers shaped like stars. Among them, nodding on slender stalks, were other flowers, white and palest green: they glimmered as a mist amid the rich hue of the grass. Over all the sky was blue, and the sun of afternoon glowed upon the hill and cast long green shadows beneath the trees.

"Behold! You are come to Cerin Amroth," said Haldir. "For this is the heart of the ancient realm as it was long ago, and here is the mound of Amroth, where in happier days his high house was built. Here ever bloom the winter flowers in the unfading grass: the yellow _elanor_, and the pale _niphredil_. Here we will stay awhile, and come to the city of the Galadrim at dusk."

The others cast themselves down upon the fragrant grass, but Devin and Frodo stood awhile still lost in wonder. It seemed to Devin that they had stepped through a high window that looked on a vanished world. A light was upon it for which none of the languages she knew had a name. All that she saw was shapely, but the shapes seemed at once clear cut, as if they had been first conceived and drawn at the uncovering of her eyes, and ancient as if they had endured forever. She saw no color but those she knew, gold and white and blue and green, but they were fresh and poignant, as if she had at that moment first perceived them and made for them names new and wonderful. In the winter here no heart could mourn for summer or for spring. No blemish or sickness or deformity could be seen in anything that grew upon the earth. On the land of Lórien there was no stain. It was so beautiful tears began to form in her eyes. Devin felt as if she was seeing Heaven on earth. To her father, it would have been; and now her heart ached with a longing and a wish to show it to him.

"It's sunlight and bright day, right enough." Said Sam, who was now standing beside Frodo, looking round with a puzzled expression and rubbing his eyes as if he was not sure that he was awake. "I thought that Elves were all for moon and stars: but this feels more elvish than anything I ever heard tell of. I feel as if I was _inside_ a song, if you take my meaning."

Haldir looked at them, and he seemed to take the meaning of both thought and word. He smiled. "You feel the power of the Lady of the Galadrim." He said. "Would it please you to climb with me up Cerin Amroth?"  
>They followed him as he stepped lightly up the grass-clad slopes. Though she walked and breathed, and about her living leaves and flowers were stirred by the same cool wind as fanned her face, Devin felt that she was in a timeless land that did not fade or change or fall into forgetfulness. When she had gone and passed again into the outer world, still Devin the lost girl from Louisiana would walk there, upon the grass among <em>elanor<em> and _niphredil_ in fair Lothlórien.  
>They entered the circle of white trees. As they did so the South Wind blew upon Cerin Amroth and sighed among the branches. Devin stood still, hearing far off great seas upon beaches that had long ago been washed away, and sea-birds crying whose race had perished from the earth.<br>Haldir had gone on and was climbing to the high flet. As Devin prepared to follow him, she and Frodo both laid their hands upon the tree beside the ladder: never before had she been so suddenly and keenly aware of the feel and texture of a tree's skin and of the life within it. She felt a delight in the wood and the touch of it, neither as forester nor as carpenter; the delight of the living tree itself.  
>As she stepped out at last upon the lofty platform after Frodo, Haldir took her hand and his, and turned them toward the South.<p>

"Look this way first!" he said. Devin looked and saw, still at some distance, a hill of many mighty trees, almost like green towers. Out of it, it seemed to her that the power and light came that held all the land in sway. She longed suddenly to fly like a bird to rest in the green city. It was the cradle of Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, born and used by Lady Galadriel to create and protect Lothlórien. Then she looked eastward and saw all the land of Lórien running down to the pale gleam of Anduin, the Great River. She lifted her eyes across the river and all the light went out, and she was back again the world she knew. Beyond the river the land appeared flat and empty, formless and vague, until far away it rise again like a well, dark and drear. The sun that lay on Lothlórien had no power to enlighten the shadow of that distant height.

"There lies the fastness of Southern Mirkwood." Said Haldir. "It is clad in a forest of dark fir, where the trees strive against one another and their branches rot and whither. In the midst upon a stony height stands Dol Guldur, where the long hidden Enemy had his dwelling. We fear now that it is inhabited again, and with power sevenfold. A black cloud lies often over it of late. In this high place you may see the two powers that are opposed one to another; and ever they strive now in thought, but whereas the light perceives the very heart of the darkness, its own secret has not been discovered. Not yet." He turned and climbed swiftly down, and they followed him.  
>At the hill's foot they found Aragorn, standing still and silent as a tree; but in his hand was a small golden bloom of <em>elanor<em>, and a light was in his eyes. He was wrapped in some fair memory: and as Devin looked at him she knew that he beheld things as they once had been many years ago in this same place, when he and Arwen first pledged their love for each other; and he spoke words in the Elvish tongue to one whom Devin and Frodo could not see. _Arwen vanimelda, namárië!_ he said, and then he drew a breath, and returning out of his thought he looked at them and smiled.

"Here is the heart of Elvendom on earth," he said, "and here my heart dwells ever, unless there be a light beyond the dark roads that we still must tread, you and I. Come with me!" and taking their hands in his, he left the hill of Cerin Amroth and came there never again as a living man.  
>Devin stole one last sad glance back at the beautifully crowned hill, knowing what would eventually become of it. Once Frodo destroyed the One Ring, all the other Rings would become powerless, including Nenya. With the ring gone the magic and beauty of Lórien would fade along with the extraordinary mallorn trees, all except the one that Sam would grow in Hobbiton, and it would gradually become depopulated, until by the time Arwen came there to die in the Fourth Age, when it would be deserted and in ruin.<p> 


	22. Chapter 22

**Previously:**

_At the hill's foot they found Aragorn, standing still and silent as a tree; but in his hand was a small golden bloom of elanor, and a light was in his eyes. He was wrapped in some fair memory: and as Devin looked at him she knew that he beheld things as they once had been many years ago in this same place, when he and Arwen first pledged their love for each other; and he spoke words in the Elvish tongue to one whom Devin and Frodo could not see. Arwen vanimelda, namárië! he said, and then he drew a breath, and returning out of his thought he looked at them and smiled._

_"Here is the heart of Elvendom on earth," he said, "and here my heart dwells ever, unless there be a light beyond the dark roads that we still must tread, you and I. Come with me!" and taking their hands in his, he left the hill of Cerin Amroth and came there never again as a living man._  
><em>Devin stole one last sad glance back at the beautifully crowned hill, knowing what would eventually become of it. Once Frodo destroyed the One Ring, all the other Rings would become powerless, including Nenya. With the ring gone the magic and beauty of Lórien would fade along with the extraordinary mallorn trees, all except the one that Sam would grow in Hobbiton, and it would gradually become depopulated, until by the time Arwen came there to die in the Fourth Age, when it would be deserted and in ruin.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22:<strong>

* * *

><p>The sun was sinking behind the mountains, and the shadows were deepening in the woods, when they went on again. Their paths now went into thickets were the dusk had already gathered. Night came beneath the trees as they walked, and the Elves uncovered their silver lamps.<br>Suddenly they came out into the open again and found themselves under a pale evening sky pricked by a few early stars. There was a wide treeless space before them, running in a great circle and bending away on either hand. Beyond it was a deep fosse lost in soft shadow, but the grass upon its brink was green, as if it glowed still in memory of the sun that had gone. Upon the further side there rose to a great height a green wall encircling a green hill thronged with mallorn-trees taller than any they had yet seen in all the land. Their height could not be guessed, but they stood up in the twilight like living towers. In their many-tiered branches and amid their ever-moving leaves countless lights were gleaming, green and gold and silver. Haldir turned towards the Company.

"Welcome to Caras Galadon!" he said. "Here is the city of the Galadrim where dwell the Lord Celeborn and Galadriel the Lady of Lórien. But we cannot enter here, for the gates do not look northward. We must go round to the southern side, and the way is not short, for the city is great."

There was a road paved with white stone running on the outer brink of the fosse. Along this they went westward, with the city ever climbing up like a green cloud upon their left; and as the night deepened more lights sprang forth, until all the hill seemed afire with stars. They came at last to a white bridge, and crossing found the great gates of the city: they faced south-west, set between the ends of the encircling wall that here overlapped, and they were tall and strong, and hung with many lamps.  
>Haldir knocked and spoke, and the gates opened soundlessly; but of guards Devin could see no sign. The travelers passed within, and the gates shut behind them. They were in a deep lane between the ends of the wall, and passing quickly through it they entered the City of Trees. No folk could they see, nor hear any feet upon the paths; but there were many voices, about them, and in the air above. Far away up on the hill they could hear the sound of singing falling from on high like soft rain upon leaves.<br>They went along many paths and climbed many stairs, until they came to the high places and saw before them amid a wide lawn a fountain shimmering. It was lit by silver lamps that swung from the boughs of trees, and it fell into a basin of silver, from which a white stream spilled. Upon the south side of the lawn there stood the mightiest of all the trees; its great smooth bole gleamed like grey silk, and up it towered, until its first branches, far above, opened their huge limbs under shadowy clouds of leaves. Beside it a broad white ladder stood, and at its foot three Elves were seated. They sprang up as the travellers approached, and Devin saw that they were tall and clad in grey mail, and from their shoulders hung long white cloaks.

"Here dwell Celeborn and Galadriel." Said Haldir. "It is their wish that you should ascend and speak with them." One of the Elf-wardens then blew a clear note on a small horn, and it was answered three times from far above. "I will go first." Said Haldir. "Let Frodo come next and with him Legolas. The others may follow as they wish. It is a long climb for those not accustomed to such stairs, but you may rest upon the way."

As he climbed slowly up Frodo passed many flets: some on one side, some on another, and some set about the bole of the tree, so that the ladder passed through them. At great height above the ground he came to a wide _talan_, like the deck of a great ship. On it was built a house, so large that almost it would have served for a hall of Men upon the earth. He entered behind Haldir, and found that he was in a chamber of oval shape, in the midst of which grew the trunk of the great mallorn, now tapering towards its crown, and yet making still a pillar of wide girth.  
>The chamber was filled with a soft light; its walls were green and silver and its roof of gold. Many Elves were seated there. On two chairs beneath the bole of the tree and canopied by a bow there sat, side by side, Celeborn and Galadriel. They stood up to greet theirs guests, after the manner of Elves, even those who were accounted mighty kings. Very tall they were, and the Lady no less tall than the Lord; and they were grave and beautiful. They were clad wholly in white; and the hair of the Lady was of deep gold, and the hair of the Lord was of silver long and bright; but no sign of age was upon them, unless it were in the depths of their eyes; for these were keen as lances in the starlight, and yet profound, the wells of deep memory.<br>Haldir led Frodo before them, and the Lord welcomed him in his own tongue. The Lady Galadriel said no word but looked long upon his face.

"Sit now beside my chair, Frodo of the Shire!" said Celeborn. "When all have come we will speak together." Each of the companions he greeted courteously by name as they entered. "Welcome Aragorn son of Arathorn!" he said. It is eighty and thirty years of the world outside since you came to this land; and those years lie heavy on you. But the end is near, for good or ill. Here lay aside your burden for awhile!  
>"Welcome son of Thranduil! Too seldom do my kindred journey hither from the North.<br>"Welcome Gimli son of Glóin! It is long indeed since we saw one of Durin's folk in Caras Galadon. But today we have broken our long law. May it be a sign that though the world is now dark better days are at hand, and that friendship shall be renewed between our peoples." Gimli bowed low. Next came the rest of the hobbits. Then came Boromir. And last but not least came the girls, who entered together at the same, for Kitty did not mix well with stairs (in fact she viewed them as something of a hated enemy), and she was so out of breath that she needed the support of a friend to stand up straight. "Welcome Devin Gladwin! Welcome Katherine Larson! We rarely receive visitors from the outside world, but rarer still are visitors from another world entirely." The girls were a little surprised to hear that particular cat was out of the bag, but it served to prove how much Elrond trusted the Lord and Lady for him to have revealed such sensitive information.  
>When all the guests were seated before his chair the Lord looked at them again. "Here there are ten." He said. "Eleven were to set out: so said the messages. But maybe there has been some change of counsel that we have not heard. Elrond is far away, and darkness gathers between us, and all this year the shadows have grown longer." At this Devin bowed her head mournfully.<p>

"Nay, there was no change of counsel." Said the Lady Galadriel, speaking for the first time. Her voice was clear and musical but deeper than woman's wont. "Gandalf the Grey set out with the Company, but he did not pass the borders of this land. Now tell us where he is; for I much desired to speak with him again. But I cannot see him from afar, unless he comes within the fences of Lothlórien: a grey mist is about him, and the ways of his feet and of his mind are hidden from me."

"Alas!" said Aragorn. "Gandalf the Grey fell into shadow. He remained in Moria and did not escape." At these words all the Elves in the hall cried aloud in grief and amazement.

"These are evil tidings," said Celeborn, "the most evil that have been spoken here in long years full of grievous deeds." He turned to Haldir. "Why has nothing of this been told to me before?" he asked in the Elven-tongue.

"We have not spoken to Haldir of our deeds or our purpose." Said Legolas. "At first we were weary and danger was too close behind; and afterwards we almost forgot our grief for a time, as we walked in gladness on the fair paths of Lórien."

"Yet our grief is great and our loss cannot be mended." Said Frodo. "Gandalf was our guide, and he led us through Moria; and when our escape seemed beyond hope he saved us, and he fell."

"Tell us now the full tale!" said Celeborn.  
>Then Aragorn recounted all that happened upon the pass of Caradhras, and in the days that followed; and he spoke of Balin and his book, and the fight in the Chamber of Mazarbul, and the fire, and the narrow bridge, and the coming of the Terror.<p>

"An evil of the Ancient World it seemed, such as I have never seen before." Said Aragorn. "It was both a shadow and a flame, strong and terrible."

"It was a Balrog of Morgorth," said Legolas; "of all elf-banes the most deadly, save the One who sits in the Dark Tower."

"Indeed I saw upon the bridge that which haunts our darkest dreams, I saw Durin's Bane." Said Gimli in a low voice, and dread was in his eyes.

"Alas!" said Celeborn. "We long have feared that under Caradhras a terror slept. But had I known that the Dwarves had stirred up this evil in Moria again, I would have forbidden you to pass the northern borders, you and all that went with you. And if it were possible, one would say that at the last Gandalf fell from wisdom into folly, going needlessly into the net of Moria." At this Devin tensed guiltily and kept her eyes cast downwards.

"He would be rash indeed that said such a thing." Said Galadriel gravely, and something in the Lady's voice made Devin look up again. "Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. Those that followed him knew not his mind and cannot report his full purpose. But however it may be with the guide, the followers are blameless." As she spoke, Galadriel held Devin's gaze directly, as if peering through the two blue-violet windows into her soul. And Devin knew that even though she spoke as if she were addressing her husband, and her words were no different than that of the book, the Lady was speaking directly to her without blame or fault. And for that Devin had not the words to express how grateful she was. "Do not repent of your welcome to the Dwarf." Galadriel released Devin's gaze and continued. "If our folk had been exiled long and far from Lothlórien, who of the Galadrim, even Celeborn the Wise, would pass nigh and would not wish to look their ancient home, though it be an abode of dragons?  
>"Dark is the water of Kheled-zâram, and cold are the springs of Kibil-nâla, and fair were the many-pillared halls of Khazad-dûm in Elder Days before the fall of mighty kings beneath the stone." She looked upon Gimli who sat glowering and sad, and she smiled. And the Dwarf, hearing the names given in his own ancient tongue, looked up and met her eyes; and it seemed to him that he suddenly looked into the heart of an enemy and saw love and understanding. Wonder came into his face, and then he smiled in answer.<br>He rose clumsily and bowed in dwarf-fashion, saying:

"Yet more fair is the living land of Lórien, and the Lady Galadriel is above all the jewels that lie beneath the earth!" There was silence. At length Celeborn spoke again.

"I did not know your plight was so evil." He said. "Let Gimli forget my harsh words: I spoke in the trouble of my heart. I will do what I can to aid you, each according to his wish and need, but especially that one of the little folk who bears the burden."

"Your quest if known to us." Said Galadriel, looking at Frodo. "But we will not here speak of it more openly. Yet not in vain will it prove, maybe, that you came to this land seeking aid, as Gandalf himself plainly purposed. For the Lord of the Galadrim is accounted the wisest of the Elves of Middle-earth, and a giver of gifts beyond the power of kings. He has dwelt in the West since the days of dawn, and I have dwelt with him years uncounted; for ere the fall of Nargothrond or Gondolin I passed over the mountains, and together through the ages we have fought the long defeat.  
>"I it was who summoned the White Council. And if my designs had not gone amiss, it would have been governed by Gandalf the Grey, and mayhap things would have gone otherwise. But even now there is hope left. I will not give you counsel, saying do this, or do that. For not in doing or contriving, nor in choosing between this course and another, can I avail; but only in knowing what was and is, and in part also what shall be. But this I will say to you: your Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope still remains while the Company is true." And with that word she held them with her eyes, and in silence looked searchingly at each of them in turn. None save Legolas and Aragorn could long endure her gaze. Sam quickly blushed and hung his head. A rosy glow also began to bloom on Devin's cheeks, and she soon lowered her eyes to the floor, but she managed to keep her chin up for the most part. Kitty furrowed her brow, suddenly looking very troubled.<br>At length the Lady Galadriel released them from her eyes, and she smiled. "Do not let your hearts be troubled." She said. "Tonight you shall sleep in peace." Then they sighed and suddenly felt weary, as those who have been questioned long and deeply, though no words had been spoken openly.

"Go now!" said Celeborn. You are worn with sorrow and much toil. Even if your Quest did not concern us closely, you should still find refuge in this City, until you were healed and refreshed. Now you shall rest, and we will not speak of your further road for a while."

That night the Company slept upon the ground, much to the satisfaction of the hobbits. The Elves spread for them a pavilion among the trees near the fountain, one that had a dividing curtain that could be raised and lowered so that the girls might finally be able to enjoy a semblance of privacy again, and on both sides of it they laid soft couches; then speaking words of peace with fair elvish voices they left them. For a little while the travellers talked of their night before in the tree-tops, and of their day's journey, and of the Lord and Lady; for they had not yet the heart to look further back.

"What did you blush for, Sam?" said Pippin. "You soon broke down. Anyone would have thought you had a guilty conscience. I hope it was nothing worse than a wicked plot to steal one of my blankets."

"I never thought no such thing." Said Sam, in no mood for jest. "If you want to know, I felt as if I hadn't got nothing on, and I didn't like it. She seemed to be looking inside me and asking what I would do if she gave me the chance of flying back home to the Shire to a nice little hole with—with a bit of garden of my own." Devin and Kitty were pretty sure he had been about to say 'Rosie Cotton' too before he caught himself.

"That's funny." Said Merry. "Almost exactly what I felt myself; only, only well, I don't I'll say any more." He ended lamely.  
>All of them, it seemed, had fared alike: each had felt that they had been offered a choice between a shadow full of fear that lay ahead, and something they greatly desired: clear before their mind it lay, and to get it they had only to turn aside from the road and leave the Quest and the war against Sauron to others.<p>

"And it seemed to me, too," said Gimli, "that my choice would remain secret and known only to myself."

"To me it seemed exceedingly strange." Said Boromir. "Maybe it was only a test, and she thought to read our thoughts for her own good purpose; but almost I should have said that she was tempting us, and offering what she pretended to have the power to give. It need not be said that I refused to listen. The Men of Minas Tirith are true to their word." But what he thought that the Lady had offered him Boromir did not tell.

"Come to think of it, Devin blushed too." Said Pippin. "What was that about?"

"Oh, that was just her shy face." Said Kitty dismissively.

"Yes, that's right. Although I expected it, it was still a little disconcerting to have my thoughts read so freely." Devin said with a nod as her cheeks flushed a little again at the memory, though she wouldn't go into to detail as to why or what she was offered.

"Yeah, that was pretty invasive. And don't bother asking me about any more it either, because my lips are sealed. I think my privacy's been invaded enough for one evening." Said Kitty with a frown. It felt kind of like they had undergone the mental equivalent of a full-body cavity search.  
>And as for Frodo, he would not speak, though Boromir pressed him with questions.<p>

"She held you long in her gaze, Ring-bearer." He said.

"Yes," said Frodo; "but whatever came into my mind then I will keep there."

"Yeah, lay off him will, ya?" Said Kitty with a frown. "He doesn't have to talk about it if he doesn't want to. It's not like anyone else is, including you."

"Well, have a care!" said Boromir to Frodo. "I do not feel too sure of this Elvish Lady and her purposes."

"Speak no evil of the Lady Galadriel!" said Aragorn sternly. "You know not what you say. There is in her and in this land no evil, unless a man bring it hither himself. Then let him beware! But tonight I shall sleep without fear for the first time since I left Rivendell. And may I sleep deep, and forget for a while my grief! I am weary in body and in heart." He cast himself down upon his couch and fell at once into a long sleep.

"Amen to that!" said Kitty. "Come on, Devin. Let's hit the sack."

"Good night, everyone." Devin said as they moved to their side if the tent and lowered the divider before lying down on their couches to drift off to sleep. The others soon did the same, and no sound or dream disturbed their slumber. When they woke they found that the light of day was broad upon the lawn before the pavilion, and the fountain rose and fell in the glittering sun.

After a filling breakfast, the two girls went off on their own and did not stop until they felt that they had found a place where they could speak at ease without being overheard by anyone else. They wanted to rehash the events of the previous evening in greater depth and discuss several worries and concerns that had been growing in their minds.

"So, what _did_ she offer you?" Kitty asked first.

"It seemed she was trying to tempt me to turn away from the Quest to destroy the Ring, asking me why I would choose to continue suffering by trying to save people whose fates were beyond my control, and what I would do if the two of us could return to our world, where you could get more medicine before you run out…" Devin answered, looking down. "… or if would prefer to stay here if you could somehow be cured, and how far I would be willing to go to do it."

"… Sounds like almost exactly what I heard." Said Kitty with a frown, furrowing her brow. "But… I'm sorry, Devin, but… my medicine actually ran out the day before we left the Mines. Galadriel asked me if I would be able to endure going through that hell again, or if I would try to use the ring to cure myself." At this Devin's eyes widened in horror.

"What?" she asked, taking Kitty's hands in her own. "But, Kitty, you…"

"The really scary thing is I might actually do it." Kitty admitted. "I want to stay here—I don't want to go back! How can I possibly be happy back in that boring world stuck working a boring job to pay for a mortgage and all that crap after all this? I never realized just how much I truly needed to get out of that world until we came to this one! All this time, I've never felt like I fit in, and now I know why—I was homesick for somewhere I'd never been before—for this place! Devin, aren't you the same? You don't really want to leave, right?" she said anxiously, squeezing her friend's hands. They were both on the verge of tears now.

"No… no, I don't want to leave…" Devin finally admitted to herself out loud. "I want to stay here with everyone, with you… b-but we can't, Kitty. It's not our world, and you _need_ more medicine. So far you've been coasting on what's left in your bloodstream, but it's already been a few days, so when that runs out… I never want to see you hurt like that again." She said sadly and earnestly as her tears started to fall.

"Yeah, I wanted to die…" said Kitty morosely. "But if you make me go back there, I really will. Even with the medicine stabilizing my moods, I won't be happy. The monotony of that world will kill me."

"What about your family?" Devin asked. Kitty let out a bitter laugh.

"They won't miss me. Nobody back there will. And I won't miss them! You're the only one I need, Devin. _You're_ my family!" She said, pulling her close and embracing her tightly. "I really can't go back there! Please, don't make me. Obviously I can't use the Ring—I know that would never work—but even if it hurts, all I want is to stay here with you and live in this world… and with our new friends." Devin let out a soft sob as she returned Kitty's hug, tightening her grip on her.

"All right, I understand… We'll stay here, in this world, together." She promised. The two friends held each other tightly and cried together. They were each other's life-lines. They would never let go. They would never abandon each other. They would do whatever it took to survive, and they would do it together, just like always.


End file.
